25. 11. 95 Official Journal of the European Communities No L 283/3 COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 2719/95 of 20 November 1995 amending Regulation (EC) No 3699/93 laying down the criteria and arrangements regarding Community structural assistance in the fisheries and aquaculture sector and the processing and marketing of its products THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 43 thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission (%), Having regard to the opinion of the European Parlia- ment (3), Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee (%), Whereas Council Regulation (EC) No 3699/93 () lays down the criteria and arrangements regarding Commun- ity structural assistance in the fisheries and aquaculture sector and the processing and marketing of its products ; Whereas the fishing industry is now undergoing far- reaching changes in the context of a serious crisis; whereas the necessary adjustments to the industry entailed by the application of the common fisheries policy as laid down in Council Regulation (EEC) No 3760/92 of 20 December 1992 establishing a Community system for fisheries and aquaculture () are creating a need for an extensive range of accompanying measures of a socio- economic nature ; Whereas a range of socio-economic accompanying measures to assist enterprises and individuals in the fishing industry as well as areas dependent on fishing is already available at Community level in the general context of the Structural Funds; Whereas these measures are not, however, sufficient to prevent the fishing industry from losing dynamic and skilled members through the reduction of fishing capa- city ; whereas appropriate measures should therefore be implemented at Community level, in particular to assist the oldest fishermen ; Whereas the social partners have been consulted pursuant to Article 3 of the Agreement annexed to the Protocol on social policy, () (®) () OJ No C 236, 11. 9. 1995, p. 3. () OJ No L 346, 31. 12. 1993, p. 1. Regulation as amended by p. 1). () OJ No L 389, 31. 12. 1992, p. L. HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION : Article 1 Regulation (EC) No 3699/93 is hereby amended as follows : 1. The following Article shall be inserted. ‘Article 14a Measures of a socio-economic nature 1. For the purposes of this Article, “fisherman” shall mean anyone engaging in his main occupation on board an operational sea-going fishing vessel. 2. The Member States may take, for fishermen, measures of a socio-economic nature associated with restructuring of the Community fisheries sector within the meaning of Article 11 of Regulation (EEC) No 3760/92. 3.  Financial assistance from the FIFG may only be granted for the following measures : (a) part-financing of national early-retirement schemes for fishermen, provided that the following condi- tions are fulfilled : — at the time of early retirement, the age of the beneficiaries of the measure must be not more than ten years from the legal retirement age for the purposes of the legislation in force in the Member State, or, the beneficiaries must be aged at least 5§, — the beneficiaries can show that they have worked for at least 10 years as fishermen. However, contributions to the normal retirement scheme for fishermen during the period of early retirement shall not be eligible for financial assis- tance from the FIFG. In each Member State, for the entire programming period within the meaning of Article 3, the number of beneficiaries may not exceed the number of jobs eliminated on board fishing vessels as a result of those vessels permanently stopping fishing activities, within the meaning of Article 8 (2), or because of the permanent transfer of vessels to a third country in the context of the creation of a joint enterprise, within the meaning of Article 9 3);