(1)
The competent authorities of the Contracting States shall exchange such information as is necessary for carrying out the provisions of this Convention or of the domestic laws of the Contracting States concerning taxes covered by the Convention insofar as the taxation thereunder is not contrary to the Convention. The exchange of information is not restricted by Article 1. Any information received by a Contracting State shall be treated as secret in the same manner as information obtained under the domestic laws of that State and shall be disclosed only to persons or authorities (including courts and administrative bodies) involved in the assessment or collection of, the enforcement or prosecution in respect of, or the determination of appeals in relation to, the taxes covered by the Convention. Such persons or authorities shall use the information only for such purposes. They may disclose the information in public court proceedings or in judicial decisions.
(2)
In no case shall the provisions of paragraph 1 be construed so as to impose on a Contracting State the obligation:
a)
to carry out administrative measures at variance with the laws and administrative practice of that or of the other Contracting State;
b)
to supply information which is not obtainable under the laws or in the normal course of the administration of that or of the other Contracting State;
c)
to supply information which would disclose any trade, business, industrial, commercial or professional secret or trade process, or information, the disclosure of which would be contrary to public policy (ordre public).
(3)
The mode of application of this Article has to be settled by an administrative arrangement between the Ministers of Finance.