Council Regulation (EU) 2018/2056 of 6 December 2018

What it is

to accelerate the procedure for publications on EUR-Lex by using an electronic seal to authenticate the Official Journal. ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: Council may adopt the act only if Parliament has given its consent to the act. BACKGROUND: Council Regulation (EU) No 216/2013 provides that the electronic edition of the Official Journal shall bear an advanced electronic signature based on a qualified certificate and created with a secure-signature-creation device, in accordance with Directive 1999/93/EC. In addition to the electronic signature and the advanced electronic signature already provided for in Directive 1999/93 (repealed with effect from 1 July 2016), Regulation (EU) No 910/2014 introduced the possibility of authenticating a document with an electronic seal or an advanced electronic seal based on an electronic seal certificate. PURPOSE: to update the procedure for authenticating the electronic version of the Official Journal of the European Union by an electronic signature. BACKGROUND: Pursuant to Regulation (EU) No 216/2013 , the Official Journal of the European Union is published in electronic form. In order to guarantee the authenticity, integrity and inalterability of this electronic publication, Article 2(1) of this Regulation states that the electronic edition shall bear an advanced electronic signature based on a qualified certificate and created with a secure-signature-creation device, in accordance with Directive 1999/93/EC. Regulation (EU) No 910/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council lays down a legal framework for electronic signatures, electronic seals, electronic time stamps, electronic documents, electronic registered delivery services and certificates for website authentication. It is necessary to update the procedure for authenticating the electronic version of the OJ against the background of relevant EU legislation on electronic signatures having been updated in the meantime. CONTENT: the draft amendment to Regulation (EU) No 216/2013 provides that the electronic edition of the Official Journal shall bear an advanced electronic signature based on a qualified certificate and created with a secure-signature-creation device, in accordance with Directive 1999/93/EC. Qualified certificates and renewals thereof are published on the EUR-Lex website to allow the public to verify the advanced electronic signature or advanced electronic seal and the authenticity of the electronic edition of the Official Journal. Authentication by electronic seal offers the same guarantees as those provided by electronic signature. The use of an electronic seal to authenticate the Official Journal would accelerate the procedure for the publication of the Official Journal on the EUR-Lex website. The Committee on Legal Affairs adopted the report by Pavel SVOBODA (EPP, CZ) on the draft Council regulation amending Regulation (EU) 216/2013 on the electronic publication of the Official Journal of the European Union. The committee recommended that the European Parliament give its consent to the draft Council regulation. The aim of the proposal is to update the procedure for authenticating the electronic version of the OJ…

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