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1. The Commission shall draw up a programme for pilot and feasibility studies to be carried out by Member States on a voluntary basis in order to develop reporting and improve data quality, establish long time series and develop methodology. The programme shall include pilot studies to test the new environmental economic account modules. In drawing up the programme, the Commission shall give particular attention to modules producing data on energy subsidies, including fossil fuel subsidies, and ensure that no additional administrative or financial burdens are placed on the Member States and on the respondents.

2. The findings of the pilot studies shall be evaluated and published by the Commission, taking into account the benefits of the availability of the data in relation to the cost of collection and the administrative burden of responding. These findings shall be taken into account in the proposals for introducing new environmental economic account modules that the Commission may include in the report referred to in Article 10.

3. In addition to the programme for pilot and feasibility studies, the Commission (Eurostat) shall by 27 June 2026, in cooperation with the Member States, carry out an assessment of methodological possibilities and the feasibility of monetary valuation, possible reporting values where those values are missing and possible alternative ways of measuring for ecosystem services accounts, taking into account international standards of the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting – Ecosystem Accounting (SEEA EA). Based on the results of that assessment and those studies, the Commission may submit to the European Parliament and to the Council a legislative proposal amending this Regulation in order to include the monetary ecosystem accounts.