Guide to Qualified Digital Archiving: Insights into the Emerging Practice of Qualified e-Archiving
Qualified e-Archiving, a new standard for digital archiving management in Europe, is set to revolutionize the trust services sector. This advanced and "qualified" version of the Italian Legal Archiving aims to create a harmonized regulatory framework across the European Union, ensuring the long-term protection of electronic documents.
The European Union's VAT in the Digital Age (ViDA) initiative has mandated Qualified e-Archiving as part of EU VAT digital reporting, with full implementation expected by July 2030. Member states will transpose EU directives into national laws, potentially accelerating local timelines. For instance, Croatia plans to mandate e-invoicing from January 1, 2026, while Poland intends to implement mandatory B2B e-invoicing through its National e-Invoicing System in February 2026 for large taxpayers.
Providers implementing Qualified e-Archiving must meet stringent technical and compliance requirements. These include the use of secure digital signature technologies, ensuring invoice authenticity and integrity, supporting real-time data exchange, and meeting accessibility standards under the European Accessibility Act. Compliance with the Act and harmonized European standards is crucial to ensure the accessibility of e-archiving solutions.
The introduction of Qualified e-Archiving will have a significant impact on the preservation services market, improving interoperability but also increasing competition among EU providers. Trust service providers, such as Intesa, a qualified trust service provider in Italy, are closely following the development of European regulations and preparing to meet the necessary technical and compliance requirements to obtain certification for Qualified e-Archiving.
Intesa, with its existing infrastructure and experience, is in a favourable position to integrate Qualified e-Archiving into its offerings. The revised eIDAS regulation, which introduces Qualified e-Archiving, represents an expansion of opportunities for trust service providers to innovate and offer new services, such as Qualified e-Archiving.
eIDAS 2.0, the revised European digital identity system, facilitates interoperability between member states and promotes the adoption of common digital identities. The regulation aims to strengthen trust in digital services and encourage greater adoption of digital solutions in both the public and private sectors. Implementing Qualified e-Archiving represents a significant challenge but also a great opportunity for providers like Intesa to strengthen their position in the European trust services market.
Qualified e-Archiving ensures the preservation, integrity, and readability of digital documents over time, maintaining their legal validity. By promising to revolutionize the trust services sector, Qualified e-Archiving is set to simplify regulatory compliance and improve interoperability between EU member states, ultimately fostering a more digital and interconnected Europe.
- The European Union's VAT in the Digital Age (ViDA) initiative has incorporated Qualified e-Archiving into EU VAT digital reporting, signifying a convergence of technology and finance within the general-news realm, as member states prepare for full implementation by 2030.
- As Qualified e-Archiving promises to revolutionize the trust services sector by ensuring the long-term preservation of electronic documents, forward-thinking technology companies, such as Intesa, are seizing the opportunity to innovate their services and increase their market presence in the European Union.
