Article 5
Cooperation between Member States regarding the exchange of information via liaison officers in third countries 1. Member States shall ensure that their liaison officers in third countries and international organisations shall, in accordance with national law and relevant international instruments and subject to compliance with applicable provisions governing the protection of personal data, provide its respective national authorities with information relating to serious criminal threats to other Member States not represented by their own liaison officers in the third country or international organisation concerned. National authorities shall assess, in accordance with national law and according to the seriousness of the threat, whether the Member States concerned should be informed. 2. Member States' liaison officers in third countries or international organisations may, in accordance with national law and relevant international instruments and subject to compliance with applicable provisions governing the protection of personal data, provide information relating to serious criminal threats to other Member States directly to the liaison officers of the Member State in question, if that Member State is represented in the third country or international organisation concerned. 3. In accordance with national law and relevant international instruments, Member States which do not have liaison officers in a third country or international organisation may make a request to another Member State which does have liaison officers in the third country or international organisation concerned, with a view to the exchange of relevant information. 4. Member States shall deal with any request as described in paragraph 3 in accordance with their respective national law and relevant international instruments, and shall state as speedily as possible whether such a request may be met. 5. Member States may consent to information being exchanged directly between liaison officers in third countries and international organisations and the authorities of other Member States, subject to compliance with applicable provisions governing the protection of personal data. 6. The performance of the tasks described in paragraph 1 and 2 must not hinder liaison officers in the performance of their original duties.