The eIDAS (electronic IDentification Authentication and Signature) Regulation - Regulation EU No. 910/2014 on digital identity was issued on 23 July 2014 and is fully effective from 1 July 2016.
The eIDAS regulation, replaces the previous directive 1999/93/EC, aims at providing a common normative basis for secure electronic interactions between citizens, businesses and public administrations and at increasing the security and effectiveness of electronic services and e-business and e-commerce transactions in the European Union.
It is worth stressing the full interoperability at the EU level of specific types of electronic signatures and time validation systems, such as digital signature and time stamp. The formats of qualified electronic signatures are defined in the Implementing decision (EU) 2015/1506 of the Commission of 8 September 2015.