Obtaining and Applying the EPREL Electronic Seal: A Step-by-Step Guide
The Qualified Electronic Seal (Qe-Seal) is a crucial digital signature for companies and organizations, used to authenticate their identity on the European Product Registry for Energy Labelling (EPREL) portal. Starting from March 2022, manufacturers and distributors of electronic appliances must verify their identity on EPREL to comply with EU regulations on product energy label registration.
To obtain the Qe-Seal, companies can contact an eIDAS-accredited Certification Authority, such as Intesa. The method for applying the seal to a PDF depends on the Certification Authority issuing the seal.
Here's a step-by-step guide on how to obtain and apply the Qe-Seal on the EPREL portal:
- Access the EPREL portal using EU Login credentials registered to a natural person. Only individuals can register for login.
- Create the organization profile in EPREL if it is the first time accessing the portal without an invitation from another admin. This involves entering company information.
- From the organization profile under the “Verification” section, start the verification process by entering the name and email of the person who will apply the seal. Then download the “Verification file,” a PDF already sealed with the EU eSeal.
- Apply your organization’s Qe-Seal to this PDF verification file. The precise method to apply the seal depends on the Certification Authority issuing the Qe-Seal.
- Upload the Qe-Seal-applied PDF back to EPREL. The platform will verify and confirm the seal’s validity within minutes.
The Qe-Seal serves to verify the actual existence, EU registered office, and authorization of the Supplier Admin in EPREL. The Supplier Admin is the individual who first creates the organization's profile on the EPREL portal. Additional Supplier Admins, Supplier Users, or Supplier Readers can be added to the organization's profile.
The Qe-Seal is not tied to a specific individual and can be used by the company even if the person who initially requested or authorized it leaves the organization. The platform will confirm the verification outcome within a few minutes after re-uploading the sealed PDF.
The EU Login can be obtained through a simple registration process, which must be completed under an individual's name. The energy label must be placed on the product's packaging to inform consumers about its energy consumption characteristics.
EPREL was established in 2018 to support energy-saving regulations in the EU. The verification procedure within the EPREL portal is part of the new requirement starting from March 1, 2022, for manufacturers and distributors to verify their identity on the EPREL portal. The Qe-Seal ensures secure identification under EU digital trust frameworks mandated for EPREL registrations.
Energy-saving regulations in the EU not only govern CO2 emissions across EU countries but also encourage appliance manufacturers to develop highly energy-efficient products. The Qe-Seal is a crucial step towards ensuring compliance with these regulations.
Data-and-cloud-computing technology plays a significant role in the verification process within the EPREL portal, as the Qe-Seal-applied PDF needs to be uploaded back to the platform for confirmation. The precise method to apply the Qe-Seal depends on the Certification Authority issuing the seal, which is a key component of data-and-cloud-computing technology.
Technology, particularly data-and-cloud-computing, is essential for the secure identification of companies and organizations on the European Product Registry for Energy Labelling (EPREL) portal, as it facilitates the application and verification of the Qe-Seal through digital means.
