(18)This Decision aims to facilitate effective cooperation between the competent authorities of the Member States and the IRBA. Its purpose is to allow those authorities to exercise their functions of public oversight, external quality assurance and investigations and, at the same time, to protect the rights of the parties concerned. Where a competent authority decides to enter into working arrangements on the basis of reciprocity with the IRBA in order to enable the transfer of audit working papers and other documents held by statutory auditors or audit firms and of inspection or investigation reports, the Member State concerned is under the obligation to communicate to the Commission the reciprocal working arrangements concluded with the IRBA to allow the Commission to assess whether cooperation is in accordance with Article 47of Directive 2006/43/EC.