Article 65Cooperation in relation to auditors

1. Member States shall ensure that supervisors in charge of auditors and, where relevant, public authorities overseeing self-regulatory bodies pursuant to Chapter IV of this Directive, their FIU and the public authorities competent for overseeing statutory auditors and audit firms pursuant to Article 32 of Directive 2006/43/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (45) and Article 20 of Regulation (EU) No 537/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council (46) cooperate closely with each other within their respective competences and provide each other with information relevant for the performance of their respective tasks.

Confidential information exchanged pursuant to this Article shall be used by the authorities referred to in the first subparagraph solely for the exercise of their functions within the scope of this Directive or the other Union legal acts referred to in the first subparagraph and in the context of administrative or judicial proceedings specifically related to the exercise of those functions.

2. Member States may prohibit the authorities referred to in paragraph 1 from cooperating when such cooperation, including the exchange of information, would impinge on an ongoing inquiry, FIU’s analysis, investigation or proceedings in accordance with the criminal or administrative law of the Member State where the authorities are located.