QuEST will help project managers and architects to build solutions that integrate Electronic Signatures as they are regulated by the European Commission’s Directive on Electronic Signatures.

In the next few years, a lot of software developers will be involved in projects that will rely on electronic identity cards and electronic signatures for security. The European Commission Directive on Electronic Signatures, which was established in 1999, regulates the cross-border recognition and implementation of electronic signatures within the European Union. Although any signature cannot be denied legal validity simply because it is in electronic form on the grounds of the Directive, there is a certain type of electronic signature that is automatically considered by law as equivalent to the handwritten signature. This type of electronic signature is commonly called a "Qualified Electronic Signature". An organization that wants to use a Qualified Electronic Signature should, however, be clear on the purpose of these signatures and define their policy for use. This can be rather complex because it is a mixture of legal, technological and policy issues. It is this area that we want to demystify with our QuEST (Qualified Electronic Signature Tutorial) guidelines.