EC Adopts Technical Standards for EU Digital Identity Wallets

The European Commission (EC) has adopted technical standards for cross-border European Digital Identity (eID) Wallets in the European Union (EU), saying this will help member states build their own wallets and release them by the end of 2026.

The implementing regulations include uniform standards, specifications and procedures for the technical functionalities of the eID wallets, together with specifications and procedures for building a framework for the certification of the wallets, the EC said in a Thursday (Nov. 28) press release.

“Setting uniform standards and specifications will allow each Member State to develop wallets in a way that is interoperable and accepted across the EU, while protecting personal data and privacy,” the release said.

Under the technical standards, data will be stored locally on the wallet, so users can control what information they share; no tracking or profiling will be included in the design of the wallets; and a built-in privacy dashboard will give users complete transparency on how the information has been shared, according to the release.

The implementing regulations will be published in the Official Journal “in due course” and will take effect 20 days after that, the release said.

The wallets will enable users to identify themselves online and offline; will be available to any EU citizen, resident or business in the EU; and will be optional, according to an EC fact page.

“European Digital Identity Wallets will offer private users and businesses a universal, trustworthy and secure way to identify themselves when accessing public and private services across borders,” the press release said. “Examples of how digital wallets can be used include opening a bank account, proving one’s age, renewing medical prescriptions, renting a car or displaying their flight tickets.”

The EU said in June 2021 that it planned to develop a digital identification wallet that residents of the bloc would be able to use to access public services and store important identification information.

Some EU countries already have their own national digital ID systems, PYMNTS reported at the time. For example, Belgium has a mandatory ID card that has a mobile app equivalent and is used to pay taxes, carry out bank transfers or request key documents from local authorities.

The EU reached a final agreement on establishing a digital identification wallet in November 2023, though the agreement still had to be formally approved by both the European Parliament and the Council of the EU.

Twenty percent of consumers across the United States, the United Kingdom, Brazil, France and Germany said they stored access credentials in a digital wallet in the last year, according to the PYMNTS Intelligence and Google Wallet collaboration, “Digital Wallets Beyond Financial Transactions.”