Handwritten (signature)

Handwritten signature is the graphical trace made by hand by a person at the bottom of a paper document, recognizable by its personal stroke. It remains the historical reference in French civil law (Article 1367 of the Civil Code). The eIDAS regulation establishes the principle of non-discrimination: an electronic signature, regardless of its level, cannot be rejected as evidence solely because it is electronic. A qualified signature (QES) has the same probative force as a handwritten signature throughout the EU. Advanced signatures (AES) often provide superior traceability (audit trail with timestamps) compared to their paper equivalent.