European Union: Reached final agreement on Regulation establishing a framework for a European Digital Identity

On 8 November 2023, the Council of the European Union and the European Parliament reached a final political agreement on a legal framework for a European Digital Identity (eID). The eID aims to allow universal access to secure and reliable electronic identification and authentication through a personal digital wallet on mobile phones to enable individuals to prove their identity without having to use the identification mechanisms provided by commercial providers. The Regulation would require each Member State to approve at least one national Wallet, which would then be rendered interoperable at the EU level, and it would have to follow minimum security features to protect personal identification data. Furthermore, the Regulation includes provisions regarding qualified web authentication certificates (QWACs) that would enable individuals to determine the ownership of the website. Technical work is ongoing to finalise the legal text based on this agreement, which will then be submitted to Member States' representatives for endorsement. The regulation will need to be formally adopted by the Parliament and the Council before being published in the EU's Official Journal and coming into effect.