Will the information submitted by the third-country auditor/audit entity be treated as confidential?

Yes. According to Article 36(2) of Directive 2006/43/EC the obligation of professional secrecy shall apply to all persons who are employed or who have been employed by competent authorities. In particular, this applies with regard to the outcome of an external quality assurance review in accordance with Article 2(1)(e) of the Commission Decision 2011/30/EU, amended by Commission Decision 2013/288/EU. Information covered by professional secrecy may not be disclosed to any other person or authority except by virtue of the laws, regulations or administrative procedures of a Member State. Some information will be stored in the register in electronic form and shall be electronically accessible to the public (see FAQ no. 18).