CEP and eDesk – Communication Between Citizens and the State
One of the pillars of digital public administration is the ability to submit applications and receive official decisions entirely electronically. In Slovakia, this functionality is enabled by two central components: the Central Electronic Filing System (CEP) and the eDesk (Electronic Mailbox). These components are essential for secure, legally binding, and trustworthy digital communication between citizens, businesses, and public authorities.
CEP – The Gateway for Electronic Submissions
The Central Electronic Filing System (CEP) serves as the primary entry point into the national eGovernment infrastructure. Its core responsibilities include:
- Receiving and processing electronic submissions from individuals, businesses, and institutions,
- Validating electronic signatures, qualified seals, and timestamps in compliance with applicable legislation (Act No. 305/2013 Coll. and the eIDAS Regulation),
- Ensuring the integrity and legal validity of incoming documents,
- Sending back acknowledgements of receipt (so-called "delivery confirmations"),
- Routing submissions to the competent public authority.
The updated CEP 3.0 version is based on a microservice architecture and brings significant improvements such as:
- Scalable infrastructure supporting high transaction volumes,
- Support for both synchronous and asynchronous signature validation,
- Remote sealing of documents without requiring a local QSCD device,
- Automatic recognition of signature types and formats,
- Conversion between EU-compliant signature container formats (ASiC, XAdES, PAdES).
CEP acts as both a technical and legal gatekeeper, guaranteeing that electronic submissions carry the same evidential value as their paper-based counterparts.
eDesk – The Official Digital Mailbox
The eDesk is an official electronic mailbox assigned to every citizen, business entity, and legal person in Slovakia. It enables:
- Receiving decisions, notifications, requests, and other official communications from public authorities,
- Sending electronic submissions to state bodies,
- Archiving messages, including attachments and metadata,
- Guaranteeing confidentiality and integrity of communication.
eDesk 3.0 significantly expands the capabilities of the previous version by adding:
- Increased support for large messages (over 50 MB),
- Role-based access control and permission management within organizations,
- Tracking access logs and time stamps for reading and delivery,
- A native and hybrid mobile app for convenient message viewing and reading.
The eDesk acts as a centralized and legally recognized delivery channel that fulfills the legal requirements for electronic service of documents under the Administrative Procedure Code and other sectoral laws. Messages delivered to eDesk are deemed legally received 15 days after delivery, even if the recipient does not open them.
Integration of CEP and eDesk
CEP and eDesk are tightly integrated in practice:
- CEP handles the technical validation and distribution of messages,
- eDesk stores and displays the message to the recipient.
Example:
A citizen submits an online application for a housing benefit. CEP accepts the submission, verifies the signature, and forwards it to the responsible public authority. A few days later, the authority issues a decision, which is then delivered via CEP to the citizen’s eDesk, where it can be viewed or downloaded.
Conclusion
CEP and eDesk are indispensable components for enabling end-to-end electronic communication in the Slovak public sector. Their robust security, legal compliance, and interoperability allow for a seamless replacement of paper-based processes. As these systems continue to evolve—with mobile integration and support for higher data volumes—the user experience and trust in digital public services are set to improve even further.