Law on Electronic Document adopted – Electronic stamp for legal persons to be in full force and effect

The National Assembly of Serbia today adopted the Law on Electronic Document, Electronic Identification and Trust Services in Electronic Business, which will enable clients to use qualified electronic signatures through their phones in transactions and electronic communication, and electronic documents will be made equal to paper ones.

This should lead to mass usage of qualified electronic signatures, which will be equivalent to handwritten ones.

So far, due to a complicated procedure, only 360,000 citizens, that is, 5% of the population, have used the electronic signature services.

The qualified electronic signature will enable full security, safety and a high degree of reliability, and the law defines various identification processes. Depending on the degree of risk of misuse and potential damage, there will be three levels of identification, basic, medium and high.

The new law also introduces electronic stamps for legal persons and envisages the formation of electronic document storage.

Legal persons will have electronic stamps which will serve as a replacement to physical stamps and handwritten signatures of authorized persons, that is, they will be in full force and effect. This solution will also enable the connection of various information systems and institutions which can exchange stamped electronic documents.

Sending such documents will now feature a greater degree of reliability, as electronic delivery enables one to see the exact time of sending and reception of each document, which is important in court and administrative procedures.

The service of qualified electronic delivery replaces the service of registered mail and provides the reliability and safety regarding the document`s arrival to the correct address.

The formation of electronic document storage is important for the economy, but keeping paper documents will remain mandatory.

According to the petitioners, the law should enable further modernization of the public administration, and the citizens will be provided with an easier access to public services and enable them to switch to electronic business activities, as well as to remove all obstacles to a cheaper and more efficient business, which is beneficial for the citizens, the business sector and the public administration.

Narodna skupština Republike Srbije

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