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- Ελληνικά
The proposal of the Ministry of Interior to delegate the certification of signatures and seals to the KEPs and KEPOs, as well as to government departments that have a large volume of certifications, was approved today by the Council of Ministers. The appointment of the approximately 200 existing certifying officials remains in effect until their retirement, but no new appointments will be made.
Safeguards to limit irregularities
Specifically, the Certifying Officials Act 2012 is replaced by the Authenticity of Signature Certification Act 2023, which, inter alia, includes the following key provisions:
[*]The responsibility for a large volume of certifications is delegated to the CCPs and CCPOs operating at points in urban centres and communities nationwide. [*]The electronic recording of certifications is implemented, giving now the possibility of tracing, with the ultimate aim of reducing the possibility of illegal acts. [*]Public officials of Departments/Agencies with high needs for certification of competences are designated with the approval of the Minister of Interior to act as certifying officials. [*]Tools are given to the Ministry of Interior to check the legality of the work of existing certifying officers, including the possibility of investigations, revocation of appointment, etc. [BR]
The replacement legislation establishes safeguards to limit irregularities and illegal actions by certifying officials (e.g., false certifications resulting in appropriation of foreign property, conflict of interest issues with individuals maintaining service offering offices, etc.).
The bill will be submitted to the House of Representatives for debate and passage.
New fees for signature/seal certification
Moreover, with Notice of the Minister of Interior (p. 9-10) published in the Official Gazette on Friday, 16 February 2024, sets out the new fees for the certification of signatures and/or seals by certifying officers. According to the Notification, charges are now based on the number of pages of the document and not on the number of signatories, as was previously the case.
In particular, the maximum charges, irrespective of the number of times the same signature/seal is repeated throughout the document, are set as follows:
- Up to 2 pages: €5
- From 3 to 10 pages: €10
- From 11 to 100 pages: €25
- From 101 pages and above: €40
For each additional signatory and/or stamp, in all of the above cases, a maximum of €2 shall be added for the entire document. For example, for a five-page document signed by four persons, the certifying officer may receive an amount of up to €16 for the entire document.
Note that if a citizen calls a certifying officer to certify a signature/seal at a location other than his/her office, then the certifying officer may request to be reimbursed by the citizen for the actual cost of travel, provided that he/she has informed the citizen in advance of the additional charge, which may not exceed €10.
Finally, certifying officers may certify signatures on a private document to be sent abroad. The documents will be referred for certification to the Ministry of Justice and Public Order or to the CCP/CEPOs, after the certifying official has come to the relevant Provincial Administration to have his/her own signature certified. The certifying officer may charge a maximum of €2/document if the document will go through the apostille procedure and the certifying officer will go to the Prefect's office to have his/her own signature/stamp certified.
(MKY)
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