(6) Pursuant to Article 5(10) of Regulation (EU) 2022/2379, this Regulation specifies technical elements of the data to be provided. Those elements consist of the list of variables, the descriptions of the variables, the observation units, the precision requirements to be applied, the methodological rules to be applied, and the deadlines for transmitting the data.

(7) The coverage of the data sets should be specified beyond the requirements in Article 4(1) and 4(5) of Regulation (EU) 2022/2379, where appropriate, to avoid inconsistencies between Member States. In particular, it is necessary, pursuant to Article 14(1) of Regulation (EU) 2022/2379, by way of derogation from Article 4(5), point (b), to specify a common list of crops for all Member States to provide information on the use of plant protection products. The list should, together with permanent grasslands, cover 75% of the utilised agricultural area at Union level. This list can be complemented by Member States with nationally relevant crops.

(8) The reference periods mentioned in Article 9(4) of Regulation (EU) 2022/2379 should be further specified.

(9) The coverage of the datasets may be reconsidered to include statistics on the use of plant protection products for seed and storage treatment as soon as deemed feasible from a technical point of view.

(10) To keep the statistics on plant protection products consistent with regular updates of the list of approved active substances, they need to be aligned with Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 540/2011 .

(11) Statistics on plant protection products are needed to monitor the Common Agricultural Policy and the relevant policies supporting the sustainable use of plant protection products, such as the Sustainable Development Goals and the Green Deal, and their related targets.

(12) The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the European Statistical System Committee as established by Article 7 of Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council .