(1) A statutory auditor, an audit firm, the key audit partner of an audit firm, the employees of the statutory auditor or audit firm, and any other individual whose services are placed at the disposal or under the control of the statutory auditor or audit firm and who is directly involved in statutory audit activities, and persons closely associated with them within the meaning of Article 1(2) of Commission Directive 2004/72/EC of 29 April 2004 [OJ L162, 30.4.2004, p. 70] implementing Directive 2003/6/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards accepted market practices, the definition of inside information in relation to derivatives on commodities, the drawing up of lists of insiders, the notification of managers' transactions and the notification of suspicious transactions shall not -
(a) hold or have a material and direct beneficial interest in, or
(b) engage in any transaction in any financial instrument issued, guaranteed, or otherwise supported by,