The Law 54/2015, which establishes the bases of the legal regime for the exploration and exploitation of geological resources, defines as "Mineral deposits" any mineral occurrences which, due to their rarity, high specific value or importance in the application in industrial processes of the substances contained therein, are of special economic interest. The "MINE" concept results from the exploitation of mineral deposits, being defined as the set of the mineral deposit under concession, the mining annexes, the works and the immovable property allocated to the exploitation.

The General Directorate for Energy and Geology, within the scope of " Exploration" and " Exploitation" of Mineral Deposits, is responsible, among others, for coordinating actions aimed at the identification, valorization and economic use of these resources with a view to guarantee their sustainability, ensuring their proper management and utilization.

The mission of the General Directorate for Energy and Geology is to contribute to the conception, promotion and evaluation of policies regarding geological resources, in a sustainable development perspective, pursuing the following competences within the scope of the public domain mineral resources:

1. Contribute to the definition, implementation and evaluation of the execution of policies on mineral deposits as well as to participate in the preparation of the legislative and regulatory framework appropriate for the development of policies of promotion, exploration, protection and valorization of mineral deposits;
2. Propose the granting of rights regarding the exploration and exploitation of mineral deposits as well as authorize plans and projects and license activities related to the exploration and exploitation of these mineral resources;
3. Perform the role of national authority responsible for monitoring/supervision/inspection actions in the field of mineral deposits and related activities;
4. Promote the knowledge, safeguarding and valorization of mineral deposits;
5. Cooperate in the promotion, dissemination and internationalization of mineral deposits, namely in cooperation actions with public and private entities, either at national or international level;
6. Encourage the implementation of new technologies and the integration of value chains in extractive activity in coordination with the other competent authorities;