1. Member States shall provide that all persons who work or who have worked for the competent authorities, as well as auditors and experts instructed by the competent authorities, be bound by the obligation of professional secrecy. That obligation means that no confidential information which those persons receive in the course of their duties shall be divulged to any person or authority whatsoever, save in summary or aggregate form such that UCITS, management companies and depositaries (undertakings contributing towards UCITS' business activity) cannot be individually identified, without prejudice to cases covered by criminal or taxation law.

However, when a UCITS or an undertaking contributing towards its business activity has been declared bankrupt or is being compulsorily wound up, confidential information which does not concern third parties involved in rescue attempts may be divulged in the course of civil or commercial proceedings.

2. Paragraph 1 shall not prevent the competent authorities of the Member States from exchanging information in accordance with this Directive or other Union legislation applicable to UCITS or to undertakings contributing towards their business activity or from transmitting it to ESMA in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 1095/2010 or the ESRB. That information shall be subject to the conditions of professional secrecy laid down in paragraph 1.