Beautiful Virgin Islands

Monday, Jun 23, 2025

Brussels aims to create new EU-wide digital identity

Brussels aims to create new EU-wide digital identity

The cross-border instrument will allow EU citizens to open bank accounts, file tax returns and enrol in university. #BrusselsBureau

The European Commission has put forward plans to establish a European digital "identity" that citizens will be able to use to open bank accounts, file tax returns and enrol in university.

Every EU citizen, resident and business inside the European Union will have the right to obtain the digital identity, although it won't be mandatory. The tool will be free-of-charge and valid in all 27 member states.

Users will be able to easily display the new ID on their phone screens and other electronic devices.

The Commission wants citizens to use the European Digital Identity for all sorts of everyday tasks, such as requesting birth certificates, reporting a change of address, renting a car, applying for a loan or checking in a hotel. All public services and large private platforms will be obliged to accept it.

The new instrument will not replace the traditional ID issued by national governments but will provide citizens with an extra tool that they can manage and employ across borders, the Commission says. Users will be allowed to link their national ID with other documents such as diplomas and driving licences.

"The European digital identity will enable us to do in any member state as we do at home without any extra cost and fewer hurdles. Be that renting a flat or opening a bank account outside of our home country," said Margrethe Vestager, the Commission's executive vice-president, on Thursday afternoon.

"This is a unique opportunity to take us all further into experiencing what it means to live in Europe, and to be European."


Secure digital identity?


Brussels wants this new European identity to be "trusted and secure" in line with the bloc's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The executive says the digital wallet will let people choose what kind of personal data they want to include and share.

Like GDPR, the European Digital Identity will be underpinned by a regulation, which means all member states will have to adopt the tool under the same conditions to avoid discrepancies.

The draft law presented on Thursday will enter discussions and negotiations between the EU's co-legislators: the European Parliament and the Council. The Commission believes the digital identity can be up and running one year after its entry into force, as long as the necessary technical works is conducted by governments alongside the private sector.

The latest move from Brussels comes as the coronavirus pandemic accelerates the digitalisation of economies and societies. However, the proposal is not entirely new and builds on a predecessor, called eIDAS Regulation.

Adopted back in 2014, the eIDAS Regulation laid the ground for cross-border electronic identification and authentication. But the system lacked provisions to make all national systems compatible with each other. It also excluded the use for private services and the integration with mobile devices.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
BBC Demands Perplexity AI Immediately Stop Using Its Content
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
Political Turmoil Resurfaces in Belgium Amid Economic Concerns
Fed policymakers divided on timing of interest rate cuts
Trump signals imminent agreement with Harvard University
Inheritance tax referendum alarms Swiss billionaire community
Japan cancels bilateral security meeting amid US defence demands
AI skeptic Emily Bender warns that ‘the emperor has no clothes’
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
UK Home Secretary Apologizes Over Child Grooming Failures
×