29.5.2014 Official Journal of the European Union L 163/15 REGULATION (EU) No 546/2014 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 15 May 2014 amending Council Regulation (EC) No 718/1999 on a Community-fleet capacity policy to promote inland waterway transport THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 91(1) thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission, After transmission of the draft legislative act to the national parliaments, Having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee (1), Having regard to the opinion of the Committee of the Regions (?), Acting in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure (3), Whereas: (1) Council Regulation (EC) No 718/1999 (*) establishes the Union-fleet capacity policy for vessels used to carry goods by inland waterway in the Member States. 2) In connection with the modernisation and restructuring of the fleets, social measures should be envisaged, preferably at an early stage, to help all crew members, including workers and owner-operators, who wish to leave the inland waterway industry or to retrain for jobs in another sector, together with measures to encourage the establishment of groupings of undertakings, improve skills in inland navigation and promote the adaptation of vessels to technical progress, including with regard to environmentally-friendly vessels. The reserve fund set up in each Member State whose inland waterways are linked to those of another Member State and the tonnage of whose fleet is above 100 000 tonnes, as provided for in Regulation (EC) No 718/1999, should be used for measures affecting owner-operators. Other dedicated funds that already exist at Union level could be used to support activities jointly undertaken by the social partners. (3)  To that end, the reserve funds could be used if so requested unanimously by the organisations representing inland waterway transport. (4)  The reserve funds, consisting solely of financial contributions from the industry, have never been used hitherto. (5)  The measures in connection with the modernisation of the Union fleets referred to in Article 8 of Regulation (EC) No 7181999 concern only social matters and the safety of the working environment. Other types of support measures for creating a context favourable to innovation and the environment are not provided for. (6)  The measures in Regulation (EC) No 718/1999 concerning vocational training or retraining schemes are relevant to all crew members leaving the sector, including owner-operators, and not only to those who are qualified as workers. (7)  Regulation (EC) No 7181999 provides for measures that encourage owner-operators to join trade associations, but not for measures that strengthen the organisations representing inland waterway transport at Union level, despite the fact that stronger Union-wide organisations can help to mitigate fragmentation in the sector. () Opinion of 21 January 2014 (not yet published in the Official Journal). (3) Opinion of 31 January 2014 (not yet published in the Official Journal). (}) Position of the European Parliament of 15 April 2014 (not yet published in the Official Journal) and decision of the Council of 8 May 2014. (*) Council Regulation (EC) No 718/1999 of 29 March 1999 on a Community-fleet capacity policy to promote inland waterway transport (O] L 90, 2.4.1999, p. 1).