1. Competent authorities shall cooperate with each other for the purposes of this Regulation. Competent authorities shall render assistance to competent authorities of other Member States, and to EBA and ESMA. They shall exchange information without undue delay and cooperate in investigation, supervision and enforcement activities.

Where Member States have, in accordance with Article 111(1), second subparagraph, laid down criminal penalties for the infringements of this Regulation referred to in Article 111(1), first subparagraph, they shall ensure that appropriate measures are in place so that competent authorities have all the necessary powers to liaise with judicial, prosecuting or criminal justice authorities within their jurisdiction to receive specific information related to criminal investigations or proceedings commenced for infringements of this Regulation and to provide the same information to other competent authorities as well as to EBA and ESMA, in order to fulfil their obligation to cooperate for the purposes of this Regulation.

2. A competent authority may refuse to act on a request for information or a request to cooperate with an investigation only in the following cases:

(a) communication of relevant information could adversely affect the security of the Member State addressed, in particular with regard to the fight against terrorism and other serious crimes;