Chapter VII — Competent authorities
Professional secrecy
Summary
Imposes professional secrecy obligations on all persons who work or have worked for competent authorities involved in DORA supervision. Confidential information received in the course of duties must not be disclosed except in aggregated or anonymised form, subject to specific exceptions.
Key Requirements
- 1
Professional secrecy obligations apply to all persons working for competent authorities
- 2
Confidential information must not be disclosed to unauthorized parties
- 3
Aggregated or anonymized disclosure permitted for statistical and analytical purposes
- 4
Specific exceptions for judicial proceedings and cooperation with other authorities
Detailed Analysis
Article 55 establishes professional secrecy obligations for all persons involved in DORA supervision — including current and former staff of competent authorities, ESAs, and any external experts engaged in supervisory activities. This provision is essential for maintaining trust between supervised entities and their regulators.
Financial entities are required to share extensive and sensitive information with competent authorities under DORA — including details about ICT vulnerabilities, incident impacts, third-party dependencies, and internal governance arrangements. Without robust secrecy protections, entities might be reluctant to provide full and frank disclosures, undermining the effectiveness of the entire supervisory framework.
The article permits disclosure in aggregated or anonymised form for statistical, analytical, and research purposes, enabling the ESAs and competent authorities to produce reports and analysis that inform policy development without compromising individual entity confidentiality. Specific exceptions allow information sharing in the context of judicial proceedings and cooperation between competent authorities under established frameworks.
Ready to automate compliance with Article 55?
Valendir maps every DORA requirement to actionable controls, evidence, and workflows.