30.7.92 Official Journal of the European Communities No L 215/91 COUNCIL REGULATION (EEC) No 2079/92 of 30 June 1992 instituting a Community aid scheme for early retirement from farming THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Articles 42 and 43 thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission (), Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament (2), : Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee (3), Whereas, given the medium to long-term outlook for Community agriculture and the reform of the market support mechanisms, a greater effort of adjustment is being required of farmers; Whereas early retirement from farming should be encouraged in order to improve the viability of agricultural holdings; Whereas an aid scheme for early retirement can help to provide an income for elderly farmers who decide to stop farming, to encourage the replacement of such elderly farmers by farmers able to improve the viability of the remaining agricultural holdings and to allow the reassignment of agricultural land to non-agricultural uses where there are no farmers likely to take it over in satisfactory conditions of viability; Whereas elderly family helpers and paid workers may lose their employment and income if the agricultural holding employing them ceases to operate; whereas provision should therefore be made for an income source for such persons; L Whereas, in order to ensure the effectiveness of the scheme, the transfer and expansion of agricultural holdings and the reassignment of land to non-agricultural uses should be organized, while ensuring rational use of the countryside; whereas Member States can attain that objective by providing their existing services with the necessary resources or by helping to set up new services; (1) OJ No C 300, 21. 11. 1991, p. 15. (2) O] No C 94, 13. 4. 1992. (?) O] No C 98, 21. 4. 1992, p. 25. Whereas the diversity of the causes, nature and gravity of the structural problems in agriculture may call for solutions differentiated according to the region concerned and adaptable over time; whereas a contribution must be made to the overall economic and social development of each region concerned; whereas the best results will be obtained if Member States, applying Community criteria, implement the scheme in the form of multiannual programmes drawn up in consultation with the Commission, and adopt the laws, regulations and administrative provisions necessary for their implementation; Whereas a procedure should be laid down for adopting, where necessary, detailed rules for the application of this Regulation, especially as regards monitoring arrangements; Whereas the resources available for implementing the measures provided for in this Regulation must be additional to those available for the implementation of measures under the rules governing the Structural Funds, and in particular for measures applicable in regions covered by Objectives 1 and S5(b) as defined in Article1 of Regulation (EEC) No 2052/88 (%), HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: Article 1 Objectives of the aid scheme for early retirement 1.  In order to accompany the changes to be introduced under the market organiziation rules, the Member States may institute a Community aid scheme for early retirement from farming, part-financed by the Guarantee Section of the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF) under the conditions laid down in this Regulation. 2. Early retirement aid shall contribute simultaneously to the following objectives: (a) providing an income for elderly farmers who decide to stop farming; (b) encouraging the replacement of such elderly farmers by farmers able to improve the economic viability of the remaining agricultural holdings; (¢} reassigning agricultural land to non-agricultural uses where it cannot be farmed under satisfactory conditions of viability. (*) OJNo L 185, 15. 7. 1988, p. 9.