Electronic Trust Services – the Basis of Business Trust

Abstract

On October 5, 2017, the Ukrainian Parliament voted for Ukrainian Law “On Electronic Trust Services”. This is an important step towards Ukraine’s integration into the EU Digital Single Market, expansion of cross-border cooperation, and international e-commerce with the EU.The law takes into account the provisions of the EU Regulation No. 910/2014 (on electronic identification and trust services for electronic transactions in the domestic market), which is provided for by Ukraine’s obligations under the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement (Chapter 6 of Section IV of the Agreement).The next steps is to ensure its proper and effective implementation, which involves development and approval of a number of government legislative acts; adoption of national standards that meet EU standards; institutional provision and the creation of appropriate digital infrastructure.A prerequisite for opening up access to the Single Digital Market in the EU is the development of a system of electronic trust services in accordance with the EU Regulation No. 910/2014 and European standards. Ukraine should ensure the compatibility of key components of the electronic trust services system in Ukraine with the relevant components of the European Union. This will provide an opportunity to reach an agreement with the EU on the mutual recognition of electronic trust services between Ukraine and the EU. For Ukrainian business, such recognition will mean the possibility of cross-border co-operation with European partners from a tablet / smartphone.The decision on the recognition by the European Union of electronic trust services provided in Ukraine is adopted by the European Commission on the basis of an audit of the compliance of components of the system of electronic trust services in Ukraine with the legislation and standards of the EU. The next step is to conclude an intergovernmental agreement on the mutual recognition of electronic trust services between Ukraine and the EU.Currently, the priority task in the context of developing a system of electronic trust services and Ukraine’s integration into the EU’s Single Digital Market is to develop a detailed roadmap for ensuring compatibility and preparation for an agreement with the EU on the mutual recognition of electronic trust services between Ukraine and the EU.The article contains common chapters of a detailed roadmap and a proposal to use the EU funded open source library DSS (Digital Signature Service) as a technical basis that can ensure interoperability between Ukrainian and the EU trust services infrastructure.