1. The data source for records on the imports and exports of goods referred to in Article 3(1) shall be the customs declaration, including possible amendments or changes to statistical data resulting from decisions by customs pertaining to it.
2. Where the further simplification of customs formalities and controls pursuant to Article 116 of the Modernised Customs Code results in records on the imports and exports of goods not being available at customs authorities, the economic operator to whom the simplification was granted shall provide the statistical data defined in Article 5 of this Regulation.
3. Member States may continue to use other data sources for the compilation of their national statistics until the date of implementation of a mechanism for mutual data exchange by electronic means referred to in Article 7(2).
4. For specific goods or movements as referred to in Article 3(3), data sources other than the customs declaration can be used.
5. The measures designed to amend non-essential elements of this Regulation, inter alia by supplementing it, relating to the data collection according to paragraphs 2 and 4 of this Article, shall be adopted in accordance with the regulatory procedure with scrutiny referred to in Article 11(3). These measures shall take the utmost account of the necessity to set up an efficient system which would minimise the administrative burden on economic operators and administrations.