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1. Member States shall ensure that deployment of smart metering systems in their territories takes place only after an economic assessment of all the long-term costs and benefits to the market and the individual consumer or which form of smart metering is economically reasonable and cost-effective and which timeframe is feasible for their distribution.

2. Such an economic assessment shall take into account network development plans referred to in Article 55, in particular paragraph 2, point (c), thereof, on decommissioning of networks.

3. Such assessment shall take into consideration the methodology for the cost-benefit analysis and the minimum functionalities for smart metering systems provided for in Commission Recommendation 2012/148/EU to the extent that they are applicable for natural gas and hydrogen, as well as the best available techniques for ensuring the highest level of cybersecurity and data protection. Such assessment shall also duly consider potential synergies with an already rolled-out electricity smart metering infrastructure, or options for selective rollouts to cases that can quickly return net benefits to keep costs in check.

4. Subject to that assessment, Member States shall prepare a timetable with a target of up to ten years for the deployment of smart metering systems. Where the deployment of smart metering systems is assessed positively, at least 80 % of final customers shall be equipped with smart meters within seven years of the date of the positive assessment.