1.   Except where otherwise stated in this Regulation, any communications to be made for the purposes of cooperation or exchanges of information falling within the scope of this Regulation shall be made either by post, fax or electronic means.

2.   When determining the most appropriate means of communication in any particular case, due account shall be taken of confidentiality considerations, the time necessary for correspondence, the volume of material to be communicated and the ease of access to the information.

3.   Without limiting the generality of paragraph 2, where electronic means are used, the electronic means shall be one that ensures the completeness, integrity and confidentiality of the information during its transmission.

4.   If ESMA and ACER jointly specify the use of a particular electronic system for communications with ACER and the national regulatory authorities falling within the scope of this Regulation, that system shall be used for the purposes so specified.