Virtually all organisations and individuals can be contacted via the DEHSt VPS according to their role (operators, verifiers, state authorities, auditors, lawyers) in the administration process for which DEHSt is competent.

However, the Registration Server only stores those addresses that have been verified, updating them automatically in the local address book. These are the only addresses that can be selected in VPSMail. They have been identified by VPS participants themselves during the application installation when a virtual business card with the relevant software certificate or encryption certificate, consisting of a public and a private key, were created and confirmed.

From 2009, all new VPS postboxes must be manually activated by the DEHSt for online use. Users must contact the DEHSt via e-mail to E-mail: vpsfreischaltung@dehst.de.

You have received a VPS message that is shown in the Message column to have one or several files attached. However, the Attachment column is greyed out (disabled) and the inbox does not show a paper clip symbol indicating an attachment.

Please check the character length of the working directory pathname....\osci_governikus\ of your local postbox application. The FAT and NTFS, file systems used in Windows 2000 and XP support pathnames only up to 255 characters. Files with filenames exceeding the 255 char limit will not be stored in the filing system.

Please shift your working directory manually toward the disc root. It is recommended that you locate the working directory directly in the root directory of the disc Drive:\osci_governikus\

You must then enter the new path into the configuration file "govello20.properties" as follows:

osci.folder=Drive\:\\osci_governikus

As an alternative, you may want to delete the entire "govello20.properties" file. When next opening the postbox application, you will be asked for the location of the working directory. You must select the current directory in which the working directory is stored. Avoid selecting the working directory itself, or the new working directory will be located within the existing one. Under no circumstances should a window open, asking you for your business card details., as this would mean that you are creating a new postbox.

Once you have shifted the working directory, select the message you received without attachments and click the Receive again button in order to re-initiate the message transfer.

For the internal backup of sent and received messages, you can use the e-mail forwarding function. From the inbox and the sent box, each individual message can be forwarded as an e-mail. By right-clicking on your mouse, you can open a new message within the e-mail client installed on your PC (except Lotus Notes), with an attachment containing all essential content in individual files.

The inbox has a Save as function for incoming messages, which allows you to save them in a directory of your choice with a set folder structure. Each VPS message is stored individually in a special file directory under the message ID (e. g. dehst_2_000000000000000000000000000000001). Attachments are found in the Attachments subdirectory.

VPS messages can carry several successive signatures, and a new author certificate is then indicated in the ‘Certificates’ tab. Multiple signatures using the same signature card are ignored. If a message has been signed by several individuals, the message is only valid if all signatures are valid.

The following possibilities exist for multiple signatures:

1. All individuals sign the message successively on the same PC.
2. All people successively open a shared mailbox in accordance with Answer No. VPS 009, sign the message in the outbox, and the last one sends off the message.
3. If each person uses their own mailbox, the message can always be forwarded to the next person. In this case, a new message is always created, in which the original message is packed. The annex to this message is not directly visible at the top level. The message viewer can visualise all messages and attachments in the "Sent folder".

It should be noted for Method 3 that the overall message is getting bigger and bigger and the documentation on the signatories is saved in each individual test protocol rendering an overview difficult.

We recommend that you use Method 1 or 2 since all signatures are stored in one test protocol and the size of the entire message is not influenced. The signatures in VPSMail are successively created and saved independently. Thus earlier signatures do not get damaged by new ones. You can open the signed message and its contents without destroying the signatures.

Signature cards with a qualified electronic certificate are legally required to be valid for a limited period only.

Once the validity has expired, you may continue to use the card for signing and sending VPS messages. The technical functionality of the signature card is not affected by the expiry of the certificate. From version 2.3.0 and beyond, the software has a function that verifies the validity of signature cards, issuing a warning for expired cards. This warning does not affect the functionality of the signature card in any way.

The postbox software on your local PC only creates the signature for the message without checking its validity. The legal validity of the signature is only checked after the message has been sent and arrived on the intermediary server of VPS at DEHSt. This server is the central server through which all incoming messages pass. The verification of a VPS message signed with an invalid electronic certificate results in a "negative" verification protocol for the writer certificate, as the public certificate of the signatory is no longer publicised by the trust centre after it expired and can no longer be accessed following the prescribed protocol.

The recipient will still be able to receive and decrypt the message as usual. The protocol found under the Verification Protocol, however, will show that the message is not legally valid. Such messages in your inbox carry a red symbol instead of a green tick (messages in red).

DEHSt will collect any VPS message with an invalid signature from VPS. Subsequently, DEHSt will send a standard reminder notice via VPS requesting that the acknowledgment of receipt (transmission protocol) of the message sent with an invalid signature be re-submitted, this time with a valid signature. To do this, proceed as described in Answer No. 031.

More information about sending a message without a signature can be found in Answer No. 020.

Select the message in question from the inbox of your postbox. Clicking on the Certificates tab will show you the author's signature certificate. Highlight the author's certificate and right-click to open the menu Check online. Retrospective online verification via OCSP (Online Certificate Status Protocol) can be carried out at any time as well as at pre-set intervals. Alternatively, the signature certificate can be verified via the website of the card issuer.

However, retrospective checking of certificates does not affect the result recorded in the verification protocol or the status symbol in the inbox. The retrospective verification result must therefore be saved separately, an option available after completion of the verification process.

Yes. However, VPS messages must have a qualified electronic signature according to the type of the message and the user’s role.

In the event that a due date in a DEHSt administrative procedure expires for which a qualified electronic signature (QES) is required, but the VPS user does not yet have a signature card with a QES, the data can be sent in a VPS message using the message type ‘Informal message’.

A message type ‘Forwarded messages’ can also be changed to an ‘Informal message’.

Upon receipt of an unsigned message, DEHSt sends a VPS message with a request to send the transmission protocol of the unsigned message in a message using a valid electronic signature (Answer No. 031).

In order to be able to have continued access to old data under a new user login, the current working directory "osci_governikus" must be involved in an installation of VPSMail in the new user login according to FAQ No. 009 or FAQ No. 010. In order to be able to open the old postbox, the access PIN must be transferred from the previous user to the new one. Then the postbox business card must be adapted to the new user (Postbox - Editing - Business card).

In addition, it is necessary to create a new software certificate according to FAQ No. 008 and assign it to the postbox to hold the business card data and technical address synchronous.

• Select the relevant message from within the ‘Sent box’.
• You will find the transmission protocol in the ‘Acknowledgement of receipt’ tab. Right-click and select ‘Save as’ to save the file locally in the PC in HTML format.
• Create a new VPS message.
• Attach the file with the acknowledgement of receipt to this new VPS message.
• Confirm in the message field ‘Comments’ that the purpose of this message is to subsequently transfer a legally valid signature to the message with the attached acknowledgement of receipt.
• Sign the message using your new valid signature card.
• Send this VPS message direct to DEHSt.

Software certificates are normally issued for a limited period.

The validity of the software certificate for address encryption, which is issued when a VPS mailbox is set up and must be assigned to the VPS mailbox, has a validity period of three years.

After the validity period has expired, you can still collect or receive old VPS messages that were sent to the old certificate. However, it is not possible to create or send new VPS messages before you have created a new software certificate and assigned it to the mailbox.

Please always update the address encryption certificate when you make changes in the name and/or organisation of the mailbox business card, otherwise there will be differences between the address encryption certificate and the externally visible address.

This can be done by following the steps below:

1. Open VPSMail and enter your PIN to login to the mailbox where the certificate needs to be changed.
2. Press the button ‘Receive’ from the upper menu bar to call up old messages that were sent to the old certificate.
3. Go to Mailbox – Edit or alternatively press the keyboard shortcut Crtl + 1 and select the ‘Basic Settings’ tab.
4. Click the button ‘Create’.
5. If possible, please do not change any fields that will be imported from the business card.
6. Choose a PIN of 4 to 8 digits. There is no compulsion to change your PIN. You are free to use the PIN you have previously used.
7. Press ‘Create’.
8. Enter a file name for the new certificate under which it will be stored in the file system. Once confirmed, two files, *.p12 and *.crt will be stored under the specified file path.
9. When returning to the ‘Basic Settings’ window, you will automatically be asked to enter your PIN and the newly created certificate will be selected.
10. Select the newly created software certificate or another existing certificate and confirm by clicking ‘OK’.

Subsequently, the new certificate will be synchronised with the Registration Server. Before the next certificate is entered, the intermediary server is checked for unread messages under the old certificate.

Please be aware that the newly selected software certificate has only been successfully transmitted to the VPS registration server if a note in red appears at the bottom of the dialogue window, confirming the entry of the software certificate to the Registration Server. You will only then be able to receive VPS messages directed to the new address encryption certificate.

You can then only receive VPS messages that are addressed to the newly created address encryption certificate.

Finally, you have to restart the mailbox before you can create and send new messages.

Generally, the VPSMail has been designed for installation on local drives only. Hence, multiple access to the same mailbox can only be established by configuring the working directory...\osci_governikus\ on network drives.

A prerequisite for running the mailbox application for multiple use is to install it on a drive to which all intended users have full access.

When first installing the software in order to set up the VPS mailbox, you will be asked for the location of the working directory. Please select the path to the multiple-user directory on the network drive.

Please keep in mind that

• although several individuals are using the same electronic mailbox, there will only be one address encryption certificate. Therefore the mailbox can only be opened with the PIN issued when it was initially installed – irrespective of the PC that accesses the mailbox;

• the mailbox cannot be used simultaneously by several individuals. When one user has opened the mailbox, VPSMail will deny access to all other users. The selected mailbox is then greyed out in the mailbox selection window.

Initial installation

This can be done by following the steps below:

• Go to the DEHSt website and open the VPS installation instructions
• Enable VPSMail installation link. When you initially install the VPS mailbox, the location for the working directory will need to be specified during the installation process. Please select the path to the shared directory on the network drive.

Secondary Installation

Subsequently, the software must be installed locally on every PC that is to have access to the mailbox. Please follow the steps below:

• Go to the DEHSt website and open the VPS installation instructions
• Enable VPSMail installation link

When asked to specify the location for the working directory of the VPSMail, select the directory that already contains the existing working directory. Please do not select the working directory ...\osci_governikus\..., as this would result in a new working directory within the existing one.

The secondary installation has failed if, after completion, a window opens for the entry of business card details. You must then cancel the installation and restart the process. Take great care in selecting the correct drive and path.

In this way already existing VPS mailboxes can be enabled for common use. The necessary information can be found in the answers below.

Once you have installed VPSMail on your computer, send an e-mail containing the data of your postbox's business card to E-mail: vpsfreischaltung@dehst.de.

• Open your business card by clicking on P.O. Box/Edit.
• Pressing the key "PrtScn“ will produce a copy of the business card, which can be pasted into the mail by pressing "Crtl+V“.
• On receiving and processing your e-mail, DEHSt staff will activate your VPS postbox and notify you by e-mail.
• Once you have received your notification you will be able to send and receive VPS messages.

If the working directory "osci_governikus" is located on a multiple-user network drive, all that is needed is a secondary installation, as described in Answer No. 009.

If the current working directory "osci_governikus" is located on a PC you are no longer going to use, you must back it up on that PC and then transfer it to your new PC. You then need to perform a secondary installation, as described in Answer No. 009.

In the course of the installation process, you are asked to agree with the licensing conditions and choose a location for the working directory. Please enter the path either for the multiple-use network drive or for the old working directory previously transferred from the old to the new PC.

If you have changed your business card, you must also renew the software certificate and synchronise it with your business card data.

• Go to "Edit mailbox" in the menu (top line) in your VPS mailbox. The tabs "Business card" and "Basic settings" will appear.
• Click on the "Basic settings" tab.
• Now select "Create (... of a software certificate)" on the left.
• Follow the instructions on the screen.
• You will be asked for a PIN during the process. Enter the PIN you used to log in. If necessary, you can change your PIN here.
• Confirm the process by clicking the "OK" button.

After creating the new software certificate, your VPS mailbox should work properly.

If the existing mailbox is no longer usable, you may transfer old messages into a new mailbox. Reasons for this may be technical problems in the encryption certificate renewal or loss of the access PIN. Please copy the message directories at file manager level. Move or copy the following message-subdirectories from the working directory "osci_governikus" of the old mailbox into the corresponding subdirectories of the new mailbox.

• Directory of incoming messages
  LW:\osci_governikus\dehst_vpsmail\postfach_mailbox_00000000x\eingang_inbox
• Directory of sent messages
  LW:\osci_governikus\dehst_vpsmail\postfach_mailbox_00000000x\gesendet_sent
• Archive directory
  LW:\osci_governikus\dehst_vpsmail\postfach_mailbox_00000000x\archiv_archive

It contains both sent and received messages. You can see the messages in each relevant folder by using the ‘Restore’ command (right click).

You can find the VPS messages in the individual sub-directories. Enter the name of the message ID.

Please note: You can no longer access or retrieve copied messages from the VPS server because the new mailbox no longer has access to the old encryption certificate.

The application requires HTTP, HTTPS and SOAP. The MIME type of .jar and .jnlp files must not be altered (the proxy must also support MIME-type application/x-java-jnlp-file jnlp). jnlp and jar files must not be filtered. HTTP HEAD request must be allowed (by default).

The following servers must be accessible as hosts:

• Verification server and intermediary server

gov.dehst.bos-asp.de 194.31.70.66

• registration server

reg.dehst.bos-asp.de 194.95.255.145

• Open the VPS postbox application. DO NOT ENTER your PIN, but click on Cancel.
• Go to File => Postbox => Delete or use keyboard shortcut Crtl + Shift + Backspace.
• Select the postbox you want to delete and click the OK button.

In order to delete the postbox, make sure that it is not open. An active postbox cannot be deleted.

An open postbox can also be closed via the dropdown menu in the application. Go to File, choose Postbox - close. That way, the postbox can be deleted while the application itself remains open.

Before the postbox is finally deleted on the registration server, the intermediary server is automatically checked for messages for the address that is about to be deleted. Only after these messages have been delivered will the postbox be deleted, together with the relevant entry on the registration server, the electronic business card and the address encryption certificate.

Please be aware that not only your postbox address on the registration server will be deleted, but also the local archive of all received and sent VPS messages on your PC.

In order to install the VPS postbox application, users must download the application referenced application instruction relating to their role in emissions trading (operator, verifier, federal state authority, auditor, or lawyer) from the DEHSt website. The downloads can be found on page DEHSt -> Electronic Communication -> Creating a VPS Postbox.

A detailed description of the technical requirements and individual work steps are provided in the Installation manual.

Yes. In order to be alerted automatically about incoming VPS messages and messages that were sent but have not yet been retrieved by the recipient, go to Options, activate the function ‘Email Alert’ and enter the email address to which the alert should be sent. Confirm the settings by clicking ‘OK’.

Please note that the incoming VPS message alert will only be delivered to you once. However, you will receive weekly emails with the IDs of all VPS messages sent by you that have not yet been retrieved by the recipients, with a daily update until they have been retrieved.

If you do not receive email alerts even though messages have arrived in your VPS mailbox, please proceed as follows:

• check for errors in the email address you have entered
• deactivate the automatic alert function (delete the tick and click OK)
• re-open the menu, enter the correct email address and tick the box to activate the alert
• re-start your PC

A receipt acknowledging that a message sent to DEHSt has been received that is binding (acknowledgement receipt) vis-à-vis DEHSt can be found in the ”Sent” box under the tab Acknowledgement of Receipt.

An acknowledgment receipt is prepared automatically by DEHSt’s VPS Server and sent to the message sender, similar to a return receipt when mailing.

DEHSt will send no further acknowledgment receipt in the form of a separate message to the VPS communication partner.

The acknowledgment receipt in the "Sent" box acts as proof of delivery of the message for DEHSt.

When forwarding messages, the acknowledgment receipt also contains the message ID of the forwarded message in the "Inside message". However, it contains no information on the attachments. This information is stored in the verification report of the forwarded message in the "Inbox” under the tab "Verification report".

Therefore,

• the acknowledgment receipt of the sent message and
• the verification report of the relevant forwarded message represent proof that forwarded messages have been delivered.

Please make sure to back up the working directory ... / osci_governikus/ of your mailbox which contains all your VPS messages (see also FAQ No. VPS 003).

We collect our VPS news regularly from the VPS server.

Regardless of whether the message has already been picked up by DEHSt or not, the message qualifies as delivered from the date of receipt on DEHSt’s server. DEHSt therefore ask you to refrain from telephone inquiries about incoming messages when the appropriate reports are available for the sender.

You can create a new message in VPSMail using the "New" button. A new dialogue window appears in which you need to complete a number of mandatory fields. Here you should select the message type.

correct use

Type of message	Application
Allocation – without ID	Initial application for allocation
Allocation – with ID	News in connection with the content of the allocation process (e.g. allocation applications, subsequent claims, capacity expansions, decommissioning, changing operators)
Small emitters	News in connection with the content of the allocation process that falls under the small emitter regulation
Registry – emissions trading account	Messages referring to the Emissions Trading Registry and/or the installation’s account. Please use the ‘Reference’ button.
Monitoring plan	Monitoring plans and concepts
Emissions report	Annual emissions report and any news pertaining to the report
EU ETS - compensation request	Initial application for offsetting as per Section 11(2) BEHG
Activity level report	Activity level report and associated news to be submitted annually
Monitoring methodology plan	Monitoring methodology plan and associated news
Subsidy electricity costs – without ID	Initial application for electricity price compensation
Subsidy electricity costs – with ID	News in connection with the content of this procedure
UERV - verification report	Content in connection with UERV verification reports
BEHG - compensation request	Initial application for offsetting as per Section 11(3) BEHG
BEHG - carbon leakage list	Application for subsequent acceptance according to Sections 18 et seqq. BECV
BEHG - degree of compensation	Application for subsequent adjustment of the degree of offsetting according to Section 23 BECV
BEHG - hardship request	Application for offsetting as per Section 11(1) BEHG
Objection	Appeals against decisions taken by DEHSt
Sanctioning	Contents in connection with sanction proceedings
Lawsuit	Content in connection with a lawsuit
Administrative offence	Content in connection with an administrative offense
Insolvency	Content in connection with insolvency proceedings
General queries	Any kind of content or query that does not come under any of the previous message types or that does not relate to any reference
Technical message	Test the mailbox software, transmission capability or a new signature card
Informal message	The only message type that allows messages to be sent without a signature

Please note that your VPS messages must have a qualified electronic signature before you can send them.

By default, only one postbox is set up for each postbox installation when the installation is complete.

Once installed, any VPSMail can be used to manage several postboxes or mailboxes.

Further postboxes may be set up by selecting the “Postbox New” menu item. Each postbox is characterised by the user’s role in emissions trading (operator OP, verifier VE, auditor AU), business card and address encryption key.

Please remember that postboxes with identical business cards cannot be distinguished externally and therefore will not be properly addressed by other communication partners.

When activating a postbox, DEHSt checks to see if there are such problems, but asks in advance to avoid duplication as far as possible. Please delete disused postboxes using the menu Postbox/Delete.

If you cannot delete old postboxes, please contact the DEHSt Customer Service.

In order to install the Postbox application, you need 1 GB of free hard disk space on the drive containing the application.

Additional extra disk space must be reserved on the hard drive for the Postbox application’s .../osci_governikus/ working directory, as incoming or outgoing messages may occupy up to 50 MB of disk space.

Please be aware of the maximum character length for directory paths and filenames supported by your operating system.

The FAT and NTFS file systems used in Windows only support filename and path lengths of up to 255 characters. In view of the 126-character total path length specified by the application within the VPS working directory \osci_governikus\, plus the length of the longest-named file to be received, it is recommended that the working directory is located directly below the root on the selected hard drive, e.g. [drive]:\osci_governikus\...\dehst_p_xxxxxxxxxx\...\"filename".

You should, however, take account of user authorisations. For example, the working directory must not be configured as read-only (write-protected) for the user, since it is used to store all messages that are sent or received via the application. The VPS Postbox application’s working directory is defined when you install the software. Essentially, the working directory can be located on any hard drive to which the PC has access.

The working directory should be included in an effective backup strategy in order to prevent data loss.

Please make sure to back up the working directory ... /osci_governikus of your mailbox.

When selecting the signature function, a window opens for you to select the signature key.

Depending on the type of card, the following signature levels may be shown.

• (A) stands for qualified signature level with provider accreditation,
• (Q) stands for qualified signature level,
• (F) stands for advanced signature level.

You must always use the qualified electronic signature, as designated in the signature level column by the letters Q or A.

The selection can be set to qualified signature (A or Q) by default. Please click on the "Settings" button in the message dialogue and set the signature level to "Qualified signature". Subsequently, when clicking on the signature function, the qualified signature PIN will be immediately requested.

Depending on the provider, a new or a renewed card must be ordered.

There are signature card contracts that will be automatically renewed unless they are cancelled within the contractually agreed time period. Users will receive their follow-up card automatically.

Please note that all new cards, including renewed cards, must be activated by a specific software application issued by the trust centre before they can be used.

To activate, please replace the transport PIN of the signature card with a self-selected PIN.

Once the card has been activated, a letter of confirmation must be sent as a rule to the trust centre by post.

Only after the trust centre has received the letter will the signature certificate of the new card be publicised so validating the signature card.

It may take up to three or four weeks from sending the letter of confirmation until the card becomes fully useable.

A traffic lights symbol per message in the VPS Mail inbox indicates the aggregate status of all integrity and signature checks performed on the message. Significance of the symbols is as follows:

• A green tick appears if all checks carried out have provided positive results.
• An amber exclamation mark appears if at least one of the checks could not be carried out.
• A red mark appears if the result of at least one of the checks carried out has provided a negative result.

Entering a nested message (indicated by a plus sign) shows the verification report of the outer most message above the ‘Verification Report’ tab.

The traffic lights symbol in the inbox sums up the verification results of all messages. In other words, even if only one of the nested messages has an amber or red symbol, the overall symbol in the inbox will be red or amber. In order to view the status of individual nested messages, open the message by double-clicking on it, which will open the message viewer.

Details of the verification results and methods are recorded in the ‘Verification report’ of the respective message.

For more information, refer to the Virtual Post Office Manual for Use.

The postbox may be greyed out and cannot be activated when the postbox to be opened is currently still in use or has already been opened if one of the following reasons applies:

• the postbox application VPSMail has not completely been shut down,
• the application or Java has been closed via the Task Manager or some other device,
• the application for shared postboxes has already been opened by a second user.

In addition, temporary help files that are only created when using VPSMail still exist and interfere. They should normally be deleted when the application is closed down properly.

Please close down all running programs and restart your PC. Reopen the postbox application and check if other users have opened the postbox.

Make sure your PC’s access to the internet is working and all requirements for hardware and software configuration specified in the Installation instructions have been met (see also Answer No. 005). If your intranet is connected to the internet via a proxy server, you might consider contacting your administrator.

If you encounter further problems, please contact the Governikus GmbH & Co. KG customer service.

The maximum volume for any VPS message is 50 MB. The restriction has been introduced to protect the intermediary server from being flooded and disabled by large amounts of data.

Transmission problems can occur on the transmission route to the intermediary server. If you access the internet via an intranet and a proxy server, the upload size for files may be limited. The Squid proxy, for example, has been configured to 1 MB by default. Thus, although the VPS postbox application can accommodate attachments up to 50 MB, your proxy server will not allow you to send larger files and should be set up to match your requirements.

Another type of transmission problem can occur when you upload large files directly using an inadequate internet connection, such as a modem or ISDN. Please ensure that your hardware is set up to fulfil the minimum requirements specified in the installation manual.

The acknowledgment of receipt can be found in the ‘Sent’ box under the tab ‘Acknowledgment of receipt’ and it contains the following information:

• a unique message identifier (message ID)
• time the message was received in the DEHSt’s VPS server: ‘Entry in server’
• file names of attachments sent
• detailed information about the sender’s certificates, recipient and signatory (author) of the message.

However, the acknowledgment of receipt does not contain information about the validity of the signature for the sent message. This will only be verified by the VPS verification server after receipt of the message in VPS (see Answer No. VPS 029) and the result will only be communicated to the recipient of the VPS message. The acknowledgment of receipt only contains information as to whether the signature used is a qualified or nonqualified signature according to the German Signature Act (SigG).

The red font signifies that the message has not been fully transmitted. Select the message and click on "Receive Again" in the menu bar.

If you encounter other problems, please contact the customer service of Governikus GmbH & Co. KG

As VPS messages must be collected from the VPS server, you must click Receive on your VPSMail menu bar in order to receive new messages from the server.

In addition, it is possible to set an interval with a minimum time of 15 minutes for an automated mail collection under the menu item "Options". The interval will start each time you open the mailbox to retrieve new messages.
For new installations of VPSMail the automated collection is already set by default to an interval of 30 minutes.

Please make sure that your signature card is properly initialised. You must replace the allocated PINs of the signature card with your own PINs with the help of the card issuer’s dedicated software.

Please make sure that no other applications requiring access to the card reader (such as SmartTrust Personal by D-Trust) have been launched simultaneously. This can lead to problems in accessing the applications so making the signing process impossible.

Please check that the card reader driver software is up to date.

Restart the PC with the signature card in place.

If you encounter other problems, please contact the customer service of Governikus GmbH & Co. KG.

Please note that this answer only applies to mailbox installations that are started via JAVA WebStart. Since 2014 VPSMail version 2.9.2.0 new VPSMail installations have run via an MSI package and an EXECUTE file has been installed.

If your VPS is started via JAVA WebStart, it may be necessary to delete the Java cache on your PC after a software update. This may also be needed if individual functions of VPSMail are inactive after an update. In both cases, all Java applications that have been installed on the PC must be reloaded via a specific link.

If you use more Java applications than just VPSMail, make sure to delete the temporary VPSMail Java files only according to the instructions below for deleting the Java cache under 2.1 ‘Delete application from the Java cache’. If you delete the complete Java cache, you will have to reinstall all other Java applications.

If you have no other Java applications installed on your PC apart from VPSMail, you can delete the Java cache using following the steps:

1. Hold down the Windows key and press ‘R’. The ‘Run’ dialogue appears.
2. Type “javaws -uninstall”. All temporary Java files or the Java cache will be deleted.
3. The application must then be reloaded. Start the application via the installation link from the Installation instructions in your web browser.
4. On deleting the Java cache, the icon sometimes disappears from the desktop. If it was not automatically reinstalled after reloading the application, see Answer No. 004 for help.

If VPSMail still does not start after deleting the Java cache, please check if you have a current version of the Java runtime environment.

For more information, please refer to the VPSMail Installation instructions and User manual.

If you encounter further problems, please contact the Governikus GmbH & Co. KG customer service.

In general, all companies that submit applications or reports to DEHSt within the scope of one or more implementation procedures or are involved in the preparation of these, are authorised to communicate via the VPS. Companies submitting applications or reports should select the role of ‘operator’, companies who audit these data should select the role of ‘verifier’ or ‘auditor’. Employees or bodies of these companies do not need to present DEHSt evidence of their power of representation in order to send VPS messages to DEHSt.

Messages for the emissions trading registry are an exception. DEHSt requires certain evidence of power of representation for these messages in a separate procedure based on the relevant legal ordinances.

People who are not employed by or are not in an official relationship with the company require evidence of power of representation for any VPS message from the company for which they wish to transmit VPS messages. In this case, please also enter your correct name in the ‘Organisation’ field in the business card of your VPS mailbox.

Granting a general power of attorney for electronic communication via the VPS of DEHSt makes sense in this context if there are no compelling reasons for limiting it to certain procedures.

If you represent only one company, the name of the company itself can also be entered, if necessary, indicating that it is not the company’s own mailbox, for example ‘VPS contact for sample company’.

If you cannot find a recipient in the VPSMail address book, please check the number of entries in your address book.

The number of address book entries is displayed in the "Extras – Address book" menu at the bottom left. It will usually be a number greater than 2000.

If it is less, please do the following:

1. Click the ‘Update address book‘ button
   If the update fails:

2. Click the ‘Download address book anew‘ button
   Both control buttons can be found in the address book window at the bottom.

   If this command fails then:

3. Close the application
4. Delete the "Address book" file in the LW:\osci_governikus\dehst_vpsmail\postfach_mailbox_00000000x\adressbuch_addressbook folder via the file manager
5. Restart the application

If you encounter further problems, please contact the Governikus GmbH & Co. KG customer service.