Electronic Signatures and Infrastructures (ESI); PAdES digital signatures; Part 1: Building blocks and PAdES baseline signatures

Note

ETSI standard specifying PAdES signatures, built on the PDF signatures of ISO 32000-1, and the baseline PAdES signature formats, version 1.2.1.

Summary

Purpose

European standard ETSI EN 319 142-1 (version 1.2.1, January 2024) defines PAdES, the digital signature format for PDF documents ETSI EN 319 142-1 V1.2.1, § 1 Scope ETSI EN 319 142-1 V1.2.1, History. Its scope begins as follows:

PAdES builds on the PDF signatures of standard ISO 32000-1, with an encoding that allows signatures equivalent to the CAdES format, and defines baseline signatures in four levels ETSI EN 319 142-1 V1.2.1, § 1 Scope ISO 32000-1:2008 (Adobe copy) ETSI EN 319 122-1 V1.3.1. The procedures for creation, augmentation and validation fall under ETSI EN 319 102-1 ETSI EN 319 142-1 V1.2.1, § 1 Scope ETSI EN 319 102-1 V1.4.1.

Who it applies to

• Signature creation applications used by wallet units: PAdES is the mandatory format of Annex IV to Implementing Regulation 2024/2979 Annex IV Art. 12(2).
• Member States that require an advanced electronic signature or seal for an online service offered by, or on behalf of, a public sector body: they must recognise the formats in Annex I to Implementing Regulation 2026/248, including PAdES Art. 1(1) Art. 3(1) Annex I Art. 27(1) Art. 37(1).

Key points

• PDF basis: the signature is embedded in the PDF document, in accordance with ISO 32000-1, and takes up the CMS and CAdES attributes ETSI EN 319 142-1 V1.2.1, § 1 Scope ETSI EN 319 142-1 V1.2.1, § 5.2 CMS and CAdES defined attributes.
• Four levels: B-B (attributes added at signing), B-T (token proving that the signature existed at a given time), B-LT (validation data included) and B-LTA (time stamps that allow validation long afterwards) ETSI EN 319 142-1 V1.2.1, § 6.1 Signature levels.
• Validation data: the standard provides attributes for validation data and their archiving ETSI EN 319 142-1 V1.2.1, § 5.4 Validation data and archive validation data attributes.
• Framework targeted: the standard states that it targets in particular the simple, advanced or qualified electronic signatures and seals of Regulation 910/2014 ETSI EN 319 142-1 V1.2.1, § 1 Scope.

What the acts apply, and how

• Implementing Regulation 2024/2979: point 1 of Annex IV makes PAdES 1.2.1 the mandatory signature or seal format; XAdES, JAdES, CAdES and ASiC are optional formats (point 2) Annex IV. Signature creation applications must create signatures or seals corresponding at least to this mandatory format Art. 12(2). They may be provided by wallet providers, trust service providers or relying parties Art. 12(1). The current text of point 1 comes from Implementing Regulation 2026/1731, which replaced it Annex VI.
• Implementing Regulation 2026/248: Member States that require an advanced electronic signature (or one based on a qualified certificate) recognise those that meet the specifications in Annex I; the same rule applies to seals Art. 1(1) Art. 3(1). Annex I names the whole standard, in version 1.2.1, without adaptation Annex I. These paragraphs apply from 23 February 2027 Art. 6. For signatures and seals created before 23 February 2028, Member States also recognise the former profile ETSI TS 103 172 v.2.2.2, with the exception of its clause 9 and at levels B, T or LT Art. 1(2) Art. 3(2) Annex II ETSI TS 103 172 V2.2.2.

Important clauses

• ETSI EN 319 142-1 V1.2.1, § 1 Scope: scope.
• ETSI EN 319 142-1 V1.2.1, § 4 General syntax: general syntax based on PDF signatures.
• ETSI EN 319 142-1 V1.2.1, § 6 PAdES baseline signatures: baseline signatures and levels.

Links

• Related standards: CAdES ETSI EN 319 122-1 V1.3.1, XAdES ETSI EN 319 132-1 V1.3.1, ASiC containers ETSI EN 319 162-1 V1.1.1.
• Learning path: step 3, the European wallet.

ETSI standard: the site reproduces only short extracts; the full text is available from ETSI ETSI EN 319 142-1 V1.2.1. Written by Asphalia.