The article presents the basis and general objectives of reforming the hard coal industry in Poland between 1998 and 2001. The authors discuss in detail the effects of restructuring the hard coal industry in 1998 to 2001 with respect to: finical restructuring, liquidation of production potential, employment restructuring, financing of the reform and basic economic-financial indices. The effect of the realisation of restructuring programme consisted in solidification of economic-financial situation improvement trends in hard coal industry in 2000 to 2001. The result on coal sales was systematically improving, which in 2001 reached the value of 758,5 Mill. Zl.