1. In accordance with the objectives of this Regulation and where new regular data requirements or the need for major improvement in the current regular data requirements are identified, the Commission (Eurostat) may launch feasibility studies in order to evaluate, where necessary:
the availability and quality of appropriate new data sources;
the development and the implementation of new statistical techniques;
the financial impact and burden on respondents.
2. Within each particular feasibility study, the Commission (Eurostat) shall assess whether the new statistics can be produced by using the information available in the relevant administrative sources at Union level and shall enhance the use of existing data in accordance with Article 17a of Regulation (EC) No 223/2009.
3. Within a particular feasibility study, the Commission (Eurostat) may, where necessary, launch pilot studies, to be carried out by Member States. The objective of those pilot studies shall be to test the implementation of new requirements in Member States with different methods of statistical production by conducting that implementation on a smaller scale.
4. The Commission (Eurostat), in cooperation with experts from the Member States and the main users of the data sets, shall evaluate the results of the feasibility studies and, where applicable, of pilot studies, accompanied, where appropriate, by proposals for introducing new regular data requirements or improvements referred to in paragraph 1. Following that evaluation, the Commission shall prepare a report on the findings of the feasibility and pilot studies. Those reports shall be made public.
5. While preparing a delegated act referred to in Article 5(8) or (9), the Commission shall duly take into account the results of the feasibility and pilot studies, in particular the feasibility of implementation of new data requirements in all Member States.