The European Commission (EC) has published the first version of a common EU Toolbox to implement the European Digital Identity Wallet (EUDI Wallet)
The Toolbox has been developed by Member States in close collaboration with the Commission and will be used as technical guide for creating and testing prototype Wallets in a variety of use-cases.
According to the EC, it will “complement the legislative proposal on a trusted and secure Digital Identity” and is the first step in creating a robust framework for digital identification and authentication based on common standards across the EU.
In June 2021, the EC proposed a framework for a European Digital Identity which would be available to all EU citizens, residents, and businesses in the EU. It would allow citizens to prove their identity and share electronic documents from their European Digital Identity wallets with the click of a button on their phone.
Whilst one of the primary aims of the Toolbox is to ensure a high level of trust in digital transactions in Europe, the EC pointed out that “the requirements and specifications set out in the Toolbox are not mandatory for Member States until the legislative proposal on the European Digital Identity Wallet has been adopted by the co-legislators.”
Several large-scale pilots are expected to start in the first half of 2023 under the Digital Programme, with the EC providing up to €50 million of co-financing to address high-priority use-cases for the Wallet, including the Mobile Driving Licence, eHealth, payments, and education qualifications.
The European Digital Identity Wallet is epected to allow citizens to store these credentials and use data for a range of services, such as checking in at the airport, renting a car, opening a bank account, or when logging in to their account on large online platforms.
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, previously spoke on the potential for a new European digital identity. In her State of the Union address in 2020, she said, “Every time an App or website asks us to create a new digital identity or to easily log on via a big platform, we have no idea what happens to our data in reality. That is why the Commission will propose a secure European e-identity. One that we trust and that any citizen can use anywhere in Europe to do anything from paying your taxes to renting a bicycle. A technology where we can control ourselves what data is used and how.”
