Electronic signature law left Cotroceni Palace

President Ion Iliescu through Decree 608 from July 17, 2001 promulgated one of the basic laws necessary to boost the new economy, the Electronic signature law, which is to be issued in the Official Gazette.

Moreover, the European Commission Directive regarding electronic signature came into effect on July 19, 2001. A similar law has been in force in the US for about nine months.

The electronic signature legislation allows some contracts to be signed through e-mail and Internet and goods (houses, cars, insurance) to be purchased from the web, as the amount of documents and the time necessary for these transactions to conclude drastically shortens. Security remains the main concern of those willing to use the electronic signature in the future.

According to Communications and IT Minister Dan Nica, the electronic signature will be available based on identity certificates, which are the digital equivalent of the paper identity cards. Minimum five organisations or companies to be accredited by the Communications Ministry will issue the identity certificates.

Companies will have to have a budget worth minimum 500,000 euros necessary to issue the certificates and a business plan for at least three years if they want to take part in the tender organised by the Communications Ministry.

The certificates will include a personal code and will be valid for maximum three years. The user’s identity will be rechecked at the end of this period. The certificates will have to be changed in order to eliminate or reduce as much as possible the risk that a particular personal code could be broken.

“Providers of services and certificates have to create and maintain an electronic database registering the issued certificates. The register has to specify: the exact date and hour when the certificate was issued; the exact date and hour when the certificate expires; if necessary, the exact date and hour when the certificate was suspended or cancelled, including the causes leading to suspending or cancelling that certificate,” reads the recently promulgated law.