Companies, corporations, freelancers and numerous commercial activities are legally required to use a PEC address. This must be entered in the commercial register. Since 2025, this obligation also applies to the appointed administrators of Italian companies: each administrator must apply for a personal PEC address and also register it with the commercial register.
PEC enables efficient, secure and legally recognised communication with authorities, business partners and customers. It facilitates the management of deadlines, the documentation of deliveries and various organisational processes.
Nevertheless, there are limitations: the PEC only has full legal effect within Italy and only if both the sender and the recipient have a PEC address. Messages sent to ordinary email addresses lose their certified status.
Despite its cost, PEC is a central tool of digital administration in Italy. Planned adjustments to the European eIDAS standards are intended to further standardise and professionalise its use in the future.