Brussels finalizes European digital identity framework

The European Parliament’s Committee on Industry, Research and Energy adopted eID, the new digital identity framework, on February 9, 2023. The proposal received 55 votes in favor and 8 against.

Proposed by the European Commission in June 2021, this framework aims to set up an interoperable European identity verification service. It should enable European citizens to authenticate themselves online without having to go through commercial providers. This would make the European Union the first region in the world to establish « trusted » digital identity governance.

The deputies also added several amendments to the text. Some of them strengthen the privacy and cybersecurity of the system. Others will allow the future European digital identity wallet to verify electronic documents or to have peer-to-peer interactions.

« The digital wallet will become a trusted, all-in-one identity gateway that gives citizens full control over their own data and offers them the freedom to decide exactly what information to share, with whom and when, » summarized Romana Jerković, the committee’s rapporteur and Croatian MEP.

« Digital identity is no longer just a nice-to-have feature, but a new driver for civic engagement and social empowerment, and a tool for an inclusive digital Europe, » she concludes.

This vote opens a month of inter-institutional discussions on the text. The eID framework will be presented to the plenary session of the European Parliament from March 13 to 16, 2023.