Artikel 17

1. The competent authorities of the States shall exchange such information (being information which such authorities have in proper order at their disposal) as is necessary for the carrying out of this Convention, in particular for the prevention of fraud, and for the administration of statutory provisions against legal avoidance concerning taxes covered by this Convention. Any information so exchanged shall be treated as secret and shall not be disclosed to any persons or authorities other than those concerned with the assessment or collection of the taxes which are the subject of this Convention.
2. In no case shall the provisions of paragraph 1 be construed so as to impose on one of the States the obligation:
a) to carry out administrative measures at variance with the laws or the administrative practice of that or of the other State;
b) to supply particulars which are not obtainable under the laws or in the normal course of the administration of that or of the other 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.
3. Paragraph 1 shall not appply to information obtained from banks or from institutions assimilated therewith. The term “institutions assimilated therewith” means, inter alia, insurance companies.