The European Council of the EU and European Parliament has struck a political deal agreeing the core elements of a new framework for a European digital identity, based on the European digital identity wallet and the 2014 eIDAS 2.0 regulation.
By 2024, all EU member states must create a digital identity for their citizens which provides the legal framework for establishing interoperable European digital wallets.
Erik Slottner, Swedish minister for public administration said: “More and more people are using their identity and credentials in everyday contacts with public and private entities. A European digital identity wallet is therefore indispensable. This way, at least 80% of EU citizens should be able to use a digital ID solution to access key public services by 2030”.
Only 14% of countries to date have create a single digital identity with the projection deadline looming for delivering the EU wallet. The wallet will constitute a type of eID as it must be issued within an electronic identification system and meet a high level of assurance.
The revised regulation encompasses a broader list of trust services and offers a clearer stance on security, mandating the use of accredited private and public certification bodies under the cybersecurity act certification schemes.
The framework brokered by the EU bodies also clarifies there should be pan-European recognition of a range of electronic credentials that can be stored in the wallets, such as driving licenses, career credentials or medical records. Users only have to share necessary identity data that is required for the provision of a service, while the members states are obligated to ensure privacy standards are adhered to and “unequivocal identity matching” of senders for cross-border services.
In March, the European Parliament voted to revise the European Digital Identity framework with member states. 30% of the population should implement the wallet by 2030.
