The Electronic Signatures Regulations 2002

Interpretation

2.  In these Regulations—

• “advanced electronic signature” means an electronic signature—

  (a)

  which is uniquely linked to the signatory,

  (b)

  which is capable of identifying the signatory,

  (c)

  which is created using means that the signatory can maintain under his sole control, and

  (d)

  which is linked to the data to which it relates in such a manner that any subsequent change of the data is detectable;

• “certificate” means an electronic attestation which links signature-verification data to a person and confirms the identity of that person;

• “certification-service-provider” means a person who issues certificates or provides other services related to electronic signatures;

• “Directive” means Directive 1999/93/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on a Community framework for electronic signatures(1);

• “electronic signature” means data in electronic form which are attached to or logically associated with other electronic data and which serve as a method of authentication;

• “qualified certificate” means a certificate which meets the requirements in Schedule 1 and is provided by a certification-service-provider who fulfils the requirements in Schedule 2;

• “signatory” means a person who holds a signature-creation device and acts either on his own behalf or on behalf of the person he represents;

• “signature-creation data” means unique data (including, but not limited to, codes or private cryptographic keys) which are used by the signatory to create an electronic signature;

• “signature-creation device” means configured software or hardware used to implement the signature-creation data;

• “signature-vertification data” means data (including, but not limited to, codes or public cryptographic keys) which are used for the purpose of verifying an electronic signature;

• “signature-vertification device” means configured software or hardware used to implement the signature-verification data;

• “voluntary accreditation” means any permission, setting out rights and obligations specific to the provision of certification services, to be granted upon request by the certification-service-provider concerned by the person charged with the elaboration of, and supervision of compliance with, such rights and obligations, where the certification-service-provider is not entitled to exercise the rights stemming from the permission until he has received the decision of that person.

(1)

OJ No. L13, 19.1.00, p. 12.