Brussels
Digital proof of identity is to come across the EU
By 2030, at least 80 percent of the EU population should be able to use a digital proof of identity. photo
© Zhang Cheng/XinHua/dpa
The EU wants to make life easier and safer for its citizens. A new digital wallet for smartphones will soon be available in all Member States.
Citizens should be present throughout the future can identify the EU digitally. During the night in Brussels, representatives of EU states and the European Parliament agreed on rules for a digital wallet for smartphones.
This could be used, for example, when visiting authorities or registering for digital services. A free electronic signature should also be possible, as stated in a communication from the EU states. Parliament and EU countries still have to formally confirm the agreement.
By 2030, at least 80 percent of the EU population should be able to use a digital proof of identity for important public services, according to a communication from the Council of Member States.
The EU Commission proposed the legal framework for digital proof of identity in June 2021 at the request of the heads of state and government. According to the authority, people in only 14 member states were able to use their national electronic identity card across borders last year.