About
About the Initiative
Learn about what inspired the creation of the EU digital identity wallet
Learn more about the initiative, including its history. Find the European Digital Identity Framework regulation and explore a timeline of the entire project, including future milestones.
How it began: digital identity across the EU
2014
The adoption of the eIDAS regulation in 2014 (Regulation (EU) No 910/2014) allowed notified national electronic identification schemes (eIDs) to be used to access public services online across borders. But our digital landscape has continued to evolve, with public and private sector services increasingly offered online, creating a growing need for secure digital authentication. At the same time, threats to digital privacy have become apparent, with people increasingly worried about profiling and surveillance. An update was clearly needed.
2021
In 2021, the European Commission proposed a revision to the original 2014 regulation called the European Digital Identity Framework, based on the principle that everyone should always control their digital identity. EU Digital Identity Wallets are the means to achieve this goal. Citizens should be able to carry their digital identity with them across the EU, moving seamlessly across borders without ever losing control of their data, with privacy and security at the heart of the project. The regulation entered into force in May 2024.
The wallet supports the principles outlined in the EU Declaration on Digital Rights and Principles and will help fulfil the Digital Decade Policy Programme target of 100% of EU citizens having access to Digital ID by 2030.
2024
On 29 February 2024, the European Parliament adopted the proposed regulation (Regulation (EU) 2024/1183) with 335 votes to 190, and 31 abstentions. It entered into force on 20 May following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
Why was a new proposal needed? The European Commission, Parliament and Council created a report about the evaluation of Regulation (EU) No 910/2014 on electronic identification and trust services for electronic transactions in the internal market (eIDAS).
Read the regulation to learn more:
Regulation (EU) 2024/1183 amending Regulation (EU) No 910/2014 as regards establishing the European Digital Identity Framework
20 May 2024
Regulation (EU) No 910/2014 (eIDAS)
23 July 2014
Who is working to define the EU Digital Identity Wallet?
The EU Digital Identity Wallet is a collaboration between the EU institutions and the Member States. Together, we are working across two main streams of work to make EU Digital Identity Wallets a reality that can be used by citizens, residents, and businesses across Europe.
The legislative work
The European Commission
Seeks to uphold the interests of the Union as a whole. Proposed the new regulation to establish a framework for European Digital Identity, amending the eIDAS regulation, on June 23 2021. Facilitates negotiations between the European Parliament and the European Council as an ‘honest broker’ mediating between the co-legislators.
The European Parliament
Represents EU citizens and enters into negotiations with the European Council, in a process known as the trilogue.
The European Council
Represents individual Member States and enters into trilogue negotiations with the European Parliament on the proposed text. Together, they finalise and agree on a final version of the European Digital Identity Framework that gives legal basis for the wallet.
The technical work
The European Commission
On 3 June 2021, the European Commission adopted a Recommendation calling for Member States to work together to develop a common Toolbox to build the wallet. This includes an Architecture and Reference Framework, a set of common standards and technical specifications, as well as common guidelines and best practices.
As part of its contribution to the Toolbox, the European Commission is also developing a wallet Reference Implementation – code libraries for Large Scale Pilots and Member States to build and test wallets.
Member States Expert Groups
Member State Experts in the eIDAS expert group, in close collaboration with the European Commission, work together, to create the Toolbox. The primary outcome of this work is the Architecture and Reference Framework (ARF) outlining the common standards and technical specifications of the wallet.
Large Scale Pilot Projects
Four Large Scale Pilot projects, funded by European Commission grants, are testing the wallet Reference Implementation and ARF specifications across a variety of use cases. 360 distinct companies and public entities are taking part, across many European countries; their goal is to enrich the Toolbox by gathering feedback from implementers and users.
The European Digital Identity Framework improves on the eIDAS regulation in several ways
The European Digital Identity Framework amends the eIDAS regulation (Regulation (EU) No 910/2014 (eIDAS)), with the goal of creating a unified approach to electronic identification that works across every Member State. Here is what is improved and new:
improved
- Ensures the acceptance of qualified trust services across Europe.
- Provides a highly secure and trustworthy electronic ID that can be used across borders.
newly added
- Citizens can carry their digital identity with them across the EU, while protecting their data and privacy.
- Enables a trusted and secure means of digital identification that public and private services can rely on.
- Empowers citizens and businesses to use digital identity solutions linked to specific attributes. This makes the targeted sharing of identity data limited to the needs of a specific service possible; greatly enhancing privacy.
Our history and milestones
The legal and technical work behind the EU Digital Identity Wallet has occurred in tandem, with insights from the Toolbox and Large Scale Pilots influencing the development of the legislation.
1999
Legal
Adoption of Directive 1999/93/EC (Community framework for electronic signatures)
2006
Legal
Adoption of Directive 2006/123/EC (Services in the Internal Market)
2014
Legal
Adoption of Regulation 910/2014 (eIDAS 1)
2020
Legal
Public consultation on revision of Regulation (EU) 910/2014 (eIDAS) launched
2021
Legal
Commission publishes proposal to amend Regulation (EU) 910/2014 (eIDAS)
Technical
Commission publishes the Recommendation for a Common EU Toolbox Toolbox process begins
2022
Legal
The Legislation Advances
See more
- European Parliament publishes draft report on the new proposal
- The European Council adopts its general approach (common position) on the proposal
- European Declaration on Digital Rights and Principles adopted
Technical
Progress on the technical side
See more
- The outline of the Architecture and Reference Framework is agreed and published for stakeholder feedback
2023
Legal
Negotiating the legislation
See more
- Launch of the Digital Decade Policy Programme 2030
- European Parliament ITRE Committee adopts its position on the regulation, confirmed by vote in plenary
- Trilogue negotiations begin on Digital Identity Regulation
- Publication of the European Digital Identity Framework in the Official Journal (followed by its entry into force 20 days later)
Technical
Designing and Testing the Wallet
See more
- First draft of The European Digital Identity Wallet Architecture and Reference Framework published
- ARF v1.0.0 february 2023
- Second draft of the Architecture and Reference Framework published
- ARF v1.1.0 april 2023
- Kick-off of the Large Scale Pilot projects testing the Wallet
- Reference Implementation Minimum Viable Product published
2024
Legal
The Regulation is adopted
See more
-
Adoption of European Digital Identity Framework
-
Adoption of the Wallet Implementing Acts
Technical
The Path to Building the Wallet
See more
-
Large Scale Pilots build wallets and test use cases
-
New version of the Architecture and Reference Framework released
-
ARF v1.2.0 march 2024
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ARF v1.3.0 march 2024
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ARF v1.4.0 may 2024
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New release of the wallet Reference Implementation
-
Member States begin building wallets using the Reference Implementation
2025
Technical
First Member State wallets made available
2026
Legal
Public and Private Services must accept the EU Digital Identity Wallet for Authentication
Technical
Wallets widely available in all Member States
1999
Legal
Adoption of Directive 1999/93/EC (Community framework for electronic signatures)
2006
Legal
Adoption of Directive 2006/123/EC (Services in the Internal Market)
2014
Legal
Adoption of Regulation 910/2014 (eIDAS 1)
2020
Legal
Public consultation on revision of Regulation (EU) 910/2014 (eIDAS) launched
2021
Legal
Commission publishes proposal to amend Regulation (EU) 910/2014 (eIDAS)
Technical
Commission publishes the Recommendation for a Common EU Toolbox
Toolbox process begins
2022
Legal
The Legislation Advances
See more
- European Parliament publishes draft report on the new proposal
- The European Council adopts its general approach (common position) on the proposal
- European Declaration on Digital Rights and Principles adopted
Technical
The Legislation Advances
See more
- The outline of the Architecture and Reference Framework is agreed and published for stakeholder feedback
2023
Legal
Negotiating the legislation
See more
- Launch of the Digital Decade Policy Programme 2030
- European Parliament ITRE Committee adopts its position on the regulation, confirmed by vote in plenary
- Trilogue negotiations begin on EU Digital Identity Wallet Regulation
- Publication of the European Digital Identity Framework in the Official Journal (followed by its entry into force 20 days later)
Technical
Designing and Testing the Wallet
See more
- First draft of The European Digital Identity Wallet Architecture and Reference Framework published
- ARF v1.0.0 february 2023
- Second draft of the Architecture and Reference Framework published
- ARF v1.1.0 april 2023
- Kick-off of the Large Scale Pilot projects testing the Wallet
- Reference Implementation Minimum Viable Product published
2024
Legal
The Regulation is adopted
- European Digital Identity Framework
- Adoption of the Wallet Implementing Acts
See more
Technical
The Path to Building the Wallet
See more
- Large Scale Pilots build wallets and test use cases
- New version of the Architecture and Reference Framework released
- ARF v1.2.0 march 2024
- ARF v1.3.0 march 2024
- ARF v1.4.0 may 2024
- New release of the wallet Reference Implementation
- Member States begin building wallets using the Reference Implementation
2025
Technical
First Member State wallets made available
2026
Legal
Public and Private Services must accept the EU Digital Identity Wallet for Authentication
Technical
Wallets widely available in all Member States
What are the Large Scale Pilots?
Large Scale Pilot projects are currently test driving the many use cases of EU Digital Identity Wallets in the real world.