Rules on establishing a European Digital Identity enter into force

The rules on establishing a European Digital Identity entered into force on May 20, and will pave the way for all EU citizens and residents to benefit from a personal European Digital Identity Wallet in 2026, the European Commission (EC) said on May 21.

The European Digital Identity Wallet will consist of a mobile app issued in each EU member state.

It will allow EU citizens and residents to identify online in full security to access public and private online services all over Europe, the EC said.

Margrethe Vestager, EC Executive Vice-President for a Europe Fit for the Digital Age said: “Today marks an important step in the development of the EU Digital Identity Wallet.

“About two years from now, every European will be able to safely manage personal digital documents and access public and private online services with full control of personal data from a personal mobile app offered on a voluntary basis to all European citizens and residents,” Vestager said.

The EC said that the EU Digital Identity Wallet will “revolutionise digital identification”.

Every user of the wallet will be able to use online services, share digital documents such as a mobile driving licence or an ePrescription, open bank accounts or make payments in full control of personal data, the statement said.

The EC said that it had already invested 46 million euro from the Digital Europe Programme in four large-scale pilots, to test the EU Digital Identity Wallet in a range of everyday use-cases, including the Mobile Driving Licence, eHealth, payments, and education and professional qualifications, a second call for large-scale pilots to support the deployment of the wallets has just been published.

After entry into force of the new rules, the EC will prepare implementing acts to ensure that all wallets feature the same high level of security and data protection and work seamlessly across the EU, the statement said.

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