Regulation 2013/216 - Electronic publication of the Official Journal of the EU - Main contents

Publication of the Official Journal

SUMMARY OF:

Regulation (EU) No 216/2013 on the electronic publication of the Official Journal of the European Union

WHAT IS THE AIM OF THE REGULATION?

It aims to ensure that the EU’s Official Journal (OJ) is published in electronic form which will be authentic and legally binding, in order to allow better access to EU law.

KEY POINTS

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  Since July 2013, the electronic edition of the OJ has been available to the public at no charge on the EUR-Lex website in a non-obsolete format and for an unlimited period.
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  The Publications Office of the EU is responsible for publishing the electronic edition of the OJ and guaranteeing its authenticity. The Publications Office must also manage the information system producing the electronic edition of the OJ and upgrade that system in line with future technical developments.
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  Where it is not possible to publish the electronic edition of the OJ due to an unforeseen and exceptional disruption of the information system of the Publications Office of the EU, the information system must be restored as soon as possible.
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  Where it is necessary to publish the OJ when the information system of the Publications Office is not operational as a result of a disruption, only the printed edition of the OJ is considered authentic and legally binding.
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  Following amending Regulation (EU) 2018/2056, the electronic edition of the OJ must bear a qualified electronic signature or a qualified electronic seal defined in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 910/2014. Qualified certificates for the electronic signature or for the electronic seal will be published on the EUR-Lex website to allow the public to check them and the authenticity of the electronic edition of the OJ.

FROM WHEN DOES THE REGULATION APPLY?

It has applied since 1 July 2013.

BACKGROUND

In 2007, the Court of Justice of the European Union held in its ruling that EU legal acts are not enforceable against individuals if they have not been properly published in the OJ, and that making such acts available online did not equate to valid publication in the OJ, in the absence of any rules in that regard in EU law.

This regulation was adopted to allow the publication of the OJ in electronic form to constitute valid publication, thus making access to EU law both faster and more economical.

MAIN DOCUMENT

Council Regulation (EU) No 216/2013 of 7 March 2013 on the electronic publication of the Official Journal of the European Union (OJ L 69, 13.3.2013, pp. 1-3)

Successive amendments to Regulation (EU) No 216/2013 have been incorporated into the original document. This consolidated version is of documentary value only.

RELATED DOCUMENTS

Decision 2009/496/EC, Euratom of the European Parliament, the Council, the Commission, the Court of Justice, the Court of Auditors, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions of 26 June 2009 on the organisation and operation of the Publications Office of the European Union (OJ L 168, 30.6.2009, pp. 41-47)

See consolidated version.

Regulation (EU) No 910/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 July 2014 on electronic identification and trust services for electronic transactions in the internal market and repealing Directive 1999/93/EC (OJ L 257, 28.8.2014, pp. 73-114)

last update 13.03.2019

This summary has been adopted from EUR-Lex.