Beyond simplifying the process of signing documents, the Yousign electronic signature is secure and certified at European level. Since July 23, 2014, the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union have introduced the eIDAS regulation, aimed at establishing a “digital trust market” between member states. These regulations provide a framework for the use of electronic signatures, guaranteeing their integrity and verification of the signatory's identity.
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Articles 1366 and 1367 of the French Civil Code stipulate that an electronic document has the same value as a handwritten document if the signatory is identified and the integrity of the document is justified. Yousign, our partner, is on the list of qualified European certification authorities, which you can consult on the European Commission website.
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The eIDAS defines three types of electronic signature: simple, advanced and qualified. Yousign mainly uses the simple signature, reinforced by a signatory authentication step via SMS, which adds real legal value. This authentication creates a time-stamped evidence file, including information such as the signatory's IP address, e-mail address and cell phone number. This file is kept for 10 years by Arkhineo, a European-certified digital archiving system.
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Electronic signatures are valid and recognized in the member states of the European Union for most common documents, such as employment contracts and commercial leases. Each member state applies the eIDAS regulation as national law, and must identify eIDAS-compliant trusted service providers.
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Please note: There may be country-specific requirements. For example, in Germany, notarial deeds cannot be signed electronically. For more information on the specifics in Germany, see a dedicated article.
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For more information, see the following articles available on Yousign.com: