Back to EUR-Lex homepage

EUR-Lex Access to European Union law

Back to EUR-Lex homepage

This document is an excerpt from the EUR-Lex website

Use quotation marks to search for an "exact phrase". Append an asterisk (*) to a search term to find variations of it (transp*, 32019R*). Use a question mark (?) instead of a single character in your search term to find variations of it (ca?e finds case, cane, care).
Search tips
Need more search options? Use the Advanced search
You are here

Verify the authenticity of an electronic edition of the Official Journal

Help

As of 1 July 2013 only the electronic edition of the Official Journal of the European Union (the e-OJ) is authentic and produces legal effects (see Council Regulation (EU) No 216/2013).

Paper versions no longer have any legal value, except for cases where – due to an unforeseen and exceptional disruption of the Publications Office's IT systems – the e-OJ cannot be published. Find paper versions of the Official Journal with legal effect.

The e-OJ bears an electronic signature, which ensures the authenticity, integrity and inalterability of the electronic edition.

How to verify authenticity

— You can verify the electronic signature and authentic character of the e-OJ using the CheckLex​ application or any third-party verification application that complies with the set standards. If this verification succeeds, you are guaranteed that:

  • the electronic edition is authentic;
  • it has not been changed since the date of its signature.

Verification requires the following steps:

  • Download the PDF version of the e-OJ and its signature file
  • Save them to your computer or device
  • Upload the 2 files to CheckLex, by clicking the Select document and Select Associated Signature buttons. Make sure you are uploading the right pair of files, otherwise the verification will fail.
  • Click the Verify Signature button. Verification takes only a couple of seconds.

If the verification fails, you will get an error message, informing you what went wrong.

— In some cases, when no e-signature is shown as a separate file, the signature is directly part of the PDF file. In those cases, verification can be performed by using any third-party verification application that complies with the set standards.

See more about: