Unification of e-certification
The Federal Council wants to drive forward the digitization of public deeds and certifications and strengthen the legal security of electronic documents. To this end, on Wednesday it sent the total revision of the Ordinance on the Creation of Electronic Public Documents and Electronic Authentications for consultation until December 7, 2016.
The Ordinance on Electronic Public Authentication (EÖBV) came into force on January 1, 2012. Due to the advancing digitalization of electronic notarization, the Federal Council is proposing adjustments. In addition to notaries, other notarial staff (e.g. civil registrars, employees of the commercial registry authorities, land registry administrators) are now to be subject to the provisions of the Ordinance. This standardization creates transparency and strengthens legal certainty, especially in transactions that cross cantonal and national borders.
In the area of public deeds and certifications, there will also be a coexistence of paper documents and electronic documents in the future. The cantons are still not obliged to introduce electronic public deeds and electronic certification.
The new requirements for the creation of electronic public documents and electronic certifications are to come into force on January 1, 2018.
Press release: Federal Department of Justice and Police
