Regulation (EU) No 2024/1183 amending Regulation (EU) No 910/2014 on electronic identification and trust services for electronic transactions in the internal market and repealing Directive 1999/93/EC (eIDAS Regulation) entered into force on 20 May 2024. It builds on the original version of the eIDAS Regulation which entered into force on 17 September 2014.

The original eIDAS Regulation includes provisions on electronic identification and electronic trust services which are binding for all EU member states. The regulation established the first standard framework for cross-border use of national electronic identity documents, including the German identity card with eID function, as well as trust services.

The amended eIDAS Regulation sets new objectives and requirements for electronic means of identification and trust services, thereby updating the existing eIDAS Regulation. One key element of the regulation is the introduction of an EU Digital Identity (EUDI) which will provide EU citizens and businesses with a secure way to prove their identity online and offline and will enable them to use authentication services throughout the entire EU. The regulation improves interoperability between the identification systems of the member states, enhances trusted services such as electronic seals and time stamps and strengthens security and data protection standards.

Amendment to the eIDAS Regulation

The amendment to the original eIDAS Regulation of 2014 was necessary because the online habits of the public and the amount of services being offered online has changed: the European Commission evaluated the original regulation in 2020 and concluded that it did not meet expectations and that the existing framework was not sufficiently targeted at the specific needs of certain industries.

The European Commission thus initiated eIDAS 2.0 in 2021 in order to meet these challenges. The final text was approved by the Committee of the Permanent Representatives of the Governments of the Member States to the European Union on 6 December 2023 and by the ITRE Committee on 7 December 2023. The European Parliament accepted the text on 29 February 2024 (335 votes in favour, 190 against and 31 abstentions) and the Council of the European Union on 26 March 2024. The final legislation was signed on 11 April 2024 and came into effect on 20 May 2024.

The amended eIDAS Regulation contains significant updates and improvements. The main focus of the amendment is on the introduction of European Digital Identity Wallets (EUDI Wallets), which will provide the public, businesses and organisations with an electronic means of identity which is standardised throughout the EU. The digital wallet will be available on smartphones, providing a secure and easy means of authentication online and enabling users to manage and share identity details and other digital credentials such as driver’s licenses and educational certificates. The digital wallet is scheduled to launch at the beginning of 2027.

In addition to secure identification and authentication, the wallet will be accompanied by extended rules for electronic trust services. These include electronic signatures, seals and time stamps which, according to the new provisions, must be made interoperable and secure. The amended eIDAS Regulation also focuses on improving interoperability between the various identification systems of the member states. In addition, the digital wallet is subject to stringent requirements when it comes to data protection and security in order to ensure confidentiality and the integrity of personal data.

The amended eIDAS Regulation thus intends to increase trust in digital identities and transactions throughout the EU while at the same time making it easier to access digital services. By introducing the EUDI Wallet and improving trust services, the aim is to create a uniform European digital market that greatly benefits private individuals and businesses. eIDAS 2.0 ensures that EU citizens have more control over their personal data in the digital sphere. With the digital wallet, third parties only receive information that is strictly necessary, ensuring a high standard of data protection and improved data sovereignty.

The European Commission provides information about the digital wallet, its use cases and advantages on its website.

Architecture and Consultation process for EUDI Wallets in Germany

On 7 June 2023, the Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community initiated an architecture and consultation process for designing and developing a prototype infrastructure for digital identities in Germany in compliance with eIDAS 2.0.

The aim of the Architecture and Consultation process is to develop a prototype infrastructure for EUDI Wallets in Germany. Representatives from associations, civil-society organisations, businesses, experts from the research community and partners from the public sector are involved in the process.

Stakeholder and interest groups had the chance to submit papers conveying their positions at the beginning of the process. Around 60 papers were submitted, checked and assessed. The submissions can be viewed here.

Since the end of August 2023, representatives of civil society, the research community, associations, the private sector and other relevant organisations have been invited to various consultation formats on a regular basis. The aim is to ensure participation from many different areas.

Formats include workshops in which the architecture proposals are discussed in detail as well as meetings open to members of the public where their feedback and suggestions can be incorporated directly into the architectural strategy. Working groups have also been set up to address specific topics and challenges. The results of these formats are documented and then integrated into an architecture concept which forms the basis for the implementation of eIDAS 2.0 in the member states. Recordings of the workshops can be found here on OpenCoDE. Recordings of the meetings open to the public can be found here. The latest version of the architecture concept can be read here.

Members of the public can also provide feedback on the concept published by the Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community directly via the OpenCoDE platform. Their comments and suggestions are collected, checked and evaluated.

You can find all documents and leave comments here: https://gitlab.opencode.de/bmi/eudi-wallet/eidas2.

Another important component of the process is the SPRIND innovation competition, which is held by the Federal Agency for Breakthrough Innovation (SPRIND) on behalf of the Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community. The aim of the competition is to develop trustworthy and user-friendly prototypes for EUDI Wallets which can be used anywhere. Over three stages, the eleven participating teams develop three core functions for the digital wallet and have the chance to test their prototypes in various scenarios. An independent jury selects teams for the next stage whose prototypes best meet the high demands on data protection, universal usability and user friendliness.

More information on the SPRIND innovation competition and the participating teams can be found here.

All information on the overall project can be found on the website of the Architecture and Consultation process for EUDI Wallets in Germany.

POTENTIAL: Large-scale pilot to test use cases for EUDI Wallets

In revising the eIDAS Regulation, various large-scale pilot projects were launched by the European Commission. The large-scale pilot for EUDI Wallets presents the possibilities of a digital wallet in a tangible way and demonstrates its features and benefits through diverse use cases. In addition to cross-border identification with an official identity document, it will also be possible to store other forms of identity, such as a driver’s licence. A qualified electronic signature via the eID function of the national identity card is also planned.

In December 2022, the POTENTIAL consortium, led by France and Germany and the largest of four consortia, was chosen by the European Commission to test specific cross-border use cases of the European Digital Identity Wallet in the private and public sectors over the course of two years.

Representatives from 18 EU member states and Ukraine work together in the POTENTIAL consortium. It consists of government institutions such as national ministries as well as private businesses from Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain and Ukraine.

refer to: Building the Future of Digital Identity in Europe (Opens new window) Source: POTENTIAL For European Digital Identity Further information can be found on the website of the POTENTIAL consortium.

With its large-scale pilot, the POTENITAL consortium wants to provide all EU citizens with a user-friendly and secure means of identification which builds on existing national solutions.

Germany provides the POTENTIAL consortium with national wallet prototypes from the SPRIND innovation competition for testing. The teams’ prototypes that win over the jury with innovative solutions will be tested in cross-border use cases as part of a pilot project starting in January 2025.

You can find information about the pilot project on the website of the POTENTIAL consortium and on X / Twitter and LinkedIn.