eIDAS 2.0: Safer, Smoother Digital Identity and Trust Services in the EU
Le règlement européen eIDAS, qui régit l’identification électronique et les services de confiance dans l’Union européenne, a été adopté en 2014.
The eIDAS Regulation created a common legal framework for electronic identification and digital signatures across the EU, making cross-border transactions easier and electronic exchanges more secure.
In 2022, the European Commission proposed a revision of the eIDAS Regulation, known as eIDAS 2.0. The revision aims to strengthen the security and resilience of Europe’s digital identity systems, to make digital identity usable in new areas, and to improve cooperation between member states.
The main changes in eIDAS 2.0
A European Digital Identity Wallet (EUDI Wallet)
The EUDI Wallet is a mobile app that will let European citizens store and manage their digital identities. It will give them access to public and private services across the EU with a single digital identity.
✅ The aim is to pool European citizens’ identity documents and make them valid in any member state.
Wallet holders will be able to share only what is needed, without handing over the underlying source data: civil status, age, nationality, gender, home address, qualifications and so on. Each of these can be shared without disclosing any other personal information.
✅ The aim is to limit the information shared to the strict minimum, with maximum privacy.
The EUDI Wallet has two goals: to pool European citizens’ identity documents and make them valid in any member state, while limiting the information shared to the strict minimum, with maximum privacy.
The potential impact of eIDAS 2.0
The rollout of eIDAS 2.0 should have a positive impact on the European digital market, by encouraging the growth of digital identification and trust services.
The EUDI Wallet should make digital identity simpler to use for European citizens. They will be able to access public and private services across the EU with a single digital identity, which should make cross-border transactions easier.
Stronger security requirements for trust service providers (TSPs, which issue electronic signature certificates) should help to make electronic transactions more secure. TSPs are key players in the digital market, and their role is essential to keeping electronic exchanges secure.
The challenges ahead for eIDAS 2.0
Implementing eIDAS 2.0 comes with a number of challenges, including:
- the cost of implementation for member states and TSPs;
- the need to raise citizens’ awareness of digital identity;
- the need to ensure the security and confidentiality of personal data.
Despite these challenges, eIDAS 2.0 should be an important step towards a stronger, more secure European digital market.