Digital Archiving for Professionals: Insights into the Emerging Concept of Qualified Digital Archiving
Introducing Qualified Legal Archiving: A New Era of Digital Preservation in Europe
The European Union is set to introduce a new standard for digital preservation with the rollout of Qualified Legal Archiving (QLA), as part of the eIDAS 2.0 regulation. This new framework, expected to become available following the entry into force of eIDAS 2.0 in May 2024, aims to provide a harmonized regulatory framework across the European Union for the long-term protection of electronic documents.
QLA, one of the new categories of trust services introduced by eIDAS 2.0, is designed to simplify regulatory compliance and improve interoperability between EU member states. It is a more secure and advanced version of the existing Italian Legal Archiving, offering an international guarantee on the durability, readability, and integrity of digital documents over time.
Implementing QLA will require careful preparation from trust service providers, awaiting the publication of implementing acts by the European Commission in November 2024. Providers like Intesa, a qualified trust service provider in Italy with experience in offering qualified electronic signature services, electronic seals, and timestamps, are closely following the development of European regulations and preparing to meet the necessary technical and compliance requirements to obtain certification for QLA.
Qualified e-Archiving, compared to legal archiving in Italy, requires adherence to higher standards. It aims to ensure greater security and reliability in digital preservation and facilitate interoperability between different archiving systems. To meet these standards, it will be essential to ensure that systems are capable of meeting the integrity, authenticity, and readability standards required for the entire document preservation period.
The introduction of e-Archiving among qualified services will have a significant impact on the preservation services market, improving interoperability but also increasing competition among EU providers. With QLA, providers will need to prepare for inspections and audits by the competent authorities to obtain the necessary certification.
eIDAS 2.0 aims to strengthen trust in digital services and encourage greater adoption of digital solutions. By introducing QLA, it addresses the growing need for harmonized archiving solutions across the EU. As the rollout of QLA begins, businesses and individuals can look forward to a more secure and reliable means of digital preservation, fostering trust in the digital age.
[1] Source: European Commission - eIDAS Regulation (910/2014) and eIDAS 2.0 (Regulation (EU) 2019/1157) [2] Source: European Commission - eIDAS 2.0 Implementation Timeline [3] Source: European Commission - eIDAS 2.0 Delegated Acts and Guidelines (planned throughout 2024 and 2025)
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