A new diagnostic series from the World Bank provides a detailed evaluation of the digital identity and trust services ecosystems across Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia.
Assisting regional governments in aligning with international best practices and the European Digital Identity (EUDI) Framework, the study benchmarks each nation across pillars such as legislation progress governing digital identity, the strength of identity infrastructure, and the maturity of trust services.
Western Balkans is pursuing closer alignment of their digital identity and trust ecosystems with the European Union requirements, which is a top priority for provisioning cross-border trade, and driving entry into the Digital Single Market.
The analysis serves recommendations for reform and and investment needs across legal and technical dimensions. Most countries are making excellent progress and the existing “foundational ID systems provide a strong basis for the issuance of trusted digital ID credentials” including high coverage of national ID cards.
All six assessed economies already operate trust service frameworks, often involving both public and private sector providers, that were modelled on the original eIDAS Regulation.
While most Western Balkans economies offer some form of electronic identification (via national ID cards, government portals, or private sector providers), coverage and active usage remain limited.
