What is CheckLex?
CheckLex is an application that enables you to verify the electronic signature and authentic character of the electronic edition of the Official Journal of the European Union (e-OJ). If verification succeeds, you are guaranteed that the electronic edition is authentic and has not been changed since the date of its signature.
Verification can be done in any of the EU's 24 official languages. You can select the language via the drop-down list in the top right-hand corner of the homepage.
Which electronic editions and signatures can be checked?
CheckLex can be used with any e-OJ that is signed. All OJ series are signed, except the S series (for tender notices, see TED – EU tenders).
About the Official Journal of the European Union
How do I find an e-OJ and its signature file(s)?
Electronic editions of the OJ and the corresponding electronic signatures are freely downloadable from the EUR-Lex website.
There are different ways to find an OJ:
- direct access to recent issues via the homepage
- by browsing through the OJ collection
- by searching (more info about searching for OJs).
You can also access the OJ and the corresponding electronic signatures directly via their URL (more info about creating URLs).
Once you found the OJ you are looking for, you will find the associated signature file(s) under the table of available formats.
How to check the electronic signature and the authentic character of an e-OJ?
Step 1: Find an e-OJ and its signature file(s) and upload them in CheckLex
- Download the PDF version of the e-OJ and its signature file.
- Save them to your computer or device.
- Upload the 2 files in CheckLex, by clicking on the "Select document" and "Select Associated Signature" buttons.
Make sure that you are uploading the right pair of files, otherwise the verification will fail.
Step 2: Start the verification
Click on the "Verify Signature" button. Verification takes only a couple of seconds.
The verification succeeds or fails. In case of failure, you will get an error message, informing you what went wrong.
To find out more about the signature, click on "Show Signature Details". To hide them again, click on "Hide Signature Details".