1. The obligation of professional secrecy shall apply to all persons who work or who have worked for the bodies involved in the framework of cooperation between competent authorities as referred to in Article 30. Information covered by professional secrecy shall not be disclosed to another person or authority except where such disclosure is necessary for legal proceedings or required by Union or national law.

2. Article 22 shall not prevent bodies involved in the framework of cooperation between competent authorities as referred to in Article 30 and the competent authorities from exchanging confidential information. Information thus exchanged shall be covered by the obligation of professional secrecy, to which persons employed or formerly employed by competent authorities are subject.

3. All the information exchanged under this Regulation between bodies involved in the framework of cooperation between competent authorities as referred to in Article 30, and the competent authorities and other authorities and bodies shall be treated as confidential, except where its disclosure is required by Union or national law.