In 2021 the European Commission announced the European digital identity wallet. This article explains the basic concepts, highlights the significance of this development and provides an overview of the status quo.

This document provides a summary description of the eIDAS expert group’s understanding of the EUDI Wallet concept.

Up until recently, the majority of digital identity systems have been federated, where a small group of “identity providers” supply individuals with a digital identity that can be used to access other websites and services within the federation. Now we’re seeing the shift to decentralized identity solutions and open ecosystems based on verifiable credentials, where anyone can participate, issue, and verify.

Also to be remembered with eIDAS, it’s not only about electronic identification, but heavily on digital signing. A good analysis including ‘failures’, derogations and national deviations is available here.

The EU Commission proposed back in June 2021 to amend eIDAS. Here also a webinar that introduces the topic.

With eIDAS, the EU has laid the foundations and a predictable legal framework for people, companies (in particular SMEs) and public administrations to safely access services and carry out transactions online and across border. Despite undisputed achievements, the potential of electronic identification and authentication under eIDAS remains underexploited.