S.L. 378.18 Art. 18Cooperation between ADR entities and nationalauthorities concerned with consumer protection.

(1) ADR entities and national public authorities entrusted with the enforcement of any aspect of consumer protection legislation shall cooperate with each other and exchange information on practices in specific business sectors about which consumers have repeatedly lodged complaints:

Provided that such information shall include the provision of technical assessment and information by such national public authorities to ADR entities where such assessment or information may be necessary for the handling of individual disputes and is already available.

(2) Any cooperation and information exchanges given in accordance with this regulation shall comply with national data protection legislation.

(3) This regulation shall be without prejudice to provisions on professional and commercial secrecy which apply to the national public authorities enforcing consumer protection legislation, and ADR entities shall be subject to rules of professional secrecy or other equivalent duties of confidentiality laid down under national legislation.