European wallet application
The EU is developing common legislation for European wallet applications, and Finland is actively participating in this work. The goal is to develop secure and reliable solutions for people to manage and use their information in the EU. The ability to prove one's identity electronically in different EU Member States remains an important goal, but is no longer a sufficient one. It is more and more often becoming necessary to provide proof of other personal information electronically, such as degrees, professional competences or valid driving licences.
A wallet application will make it easier to show personal data
In practice, the upcoming legislation concerns a wallet application for smartphones (European Digital Identity Wallet, EUDI Wallet). The idea is for the application to serve a similar purpose to traditional physical wallets, particularly from the perspective of certificates and personal data.
Wallets normally contain not just payment cards, but also identity cards, driving licences and various professional certificates, such as hygiene passports. In other words, a variety of personal data concerning the wallet's owner. The wallet application could contain the same authenticated personal data and certificates in an electronic form, and people would be able to use the wallet application to provide proof of this data when using services.
According to the EU's legislative proposal, users of the European wallet application would be able to use the application to prove their identity electronically, provide proof of personal data and certificates, and sign documents electronically. The legislation on the wallet application would promote the ability of individuals to manage their information and to control how they use their information.
The legislative proposal assumes that the wallet application would be used by private individuals, organisations and companies. Work is currently focusing on the perspective of private individuals as users. More detailed specifications of company wallet applications will be created as preparation continues. Use of a digital wallet would be voluntary.
Every EU Member State would be obligated to ensure that there is at least one wallet application available. Wallet applications could be provided by both the private and public sectors. If no applications offered by other parties are available, Member States will ultimately be responsible for providing one. The number of wallet applications would not be limited, and there could be more than one available in each Member State.
The EU’s legislative proposal concerning a European wallet application would also add new trust services to the eIDAS Regulation. The purpose of trust services is to create trust in electronic documents and processes, but in practice they are often integrated into services out of the sight of users. Electronic trust services include the eSignature certificate, eTimestamp and Qualified Web Authentication Certificate.
In future, the Regulation would define common requirements for trust services enabling the provision of personal data and certificates in an electronic format (electronic attribute certificates). Organisations and other parties could provide the personal data and certificates that they issue (such as degrees or licences) as electronic trust services for the user's wallet application. The Regulation would define requirements for the service being offered, i.e. for electronic attribute certificates, and for service providers. By providing their services in the manner required by the Regulation, service providers would be able to prove that their services can be trusted. In order to increase the level of trust, trust service providers would be able to apply for authority approval of their services.
The aim is for the wallet application to be widely usable with services provided by both the public and private sectors. The aim is also for it to be possible to use the wallet application to prove information in person as well as electronically.
According to the EU’s legislative proposal, public sector services would have to accept the wallet application as one form of electronic identification of a person. This obligation would also apply to electronic services in certain private-sector fields of activity.
The legislative proposal also includes regulatory measures concerning parties that intend to allow the use of the application in their services. These parties would have to announce their intent to allow the use of the wallet application in their services and provide information on the purpose for which the application will be usable in their services.
Background: Finland active in drafting EU legislation
The preparation of legislation on the European wallet application is still ongoing in the EU. The Commission’s legislative proposal provides a foundation, but large changes may still be made as drafting progresses. Finland is actively participating in the drafting of the legislative proposal in the EU. This is a large legislative proposal that will affect both the private and public sectors in numerous administrative sectors. To this end, the Ministry of Finance has appointed a coordination group for the national preparation of the European digital identity.
Finland takes a positive stance on the development of legislation concerning the wallet application. In many areas, the legislative proposal and its objectives are in line with Finland’s objectives for national legislation. Finland’s long-term goal is to develop the digital identification application into a wallet application that meets the EU's requirements, notify the Commission of it in accordance with the Regulation and use it to enable the use of electronic services in EU Member States.
The development of the wallet application is based on the Commission’s legislative proposal of June 2021 (COM (2021) 281 final), which would amend the EU's eIDAS Regulation ((EU) No 910/2014). The eIDAS Regulation regulates cross-border electronic identification and trust services for electronic transactions currently and in the future. The legislative amendment would also bring the European wallet application into the scope of the Regulation.
In parallel with the legislative proposal concerning the European wallet application, the technical requirements for wallet applications are also being prepared (toolbox for a European Digital Identity). These preparations are taking place in cooperation between Member States. The technical requirements would comprehensively cover the requirements for the technical structure, general standards, technical reference material and good practices for wallet applications. The Digital and Population Data Services Agency is coordinating national cooperation related to technical specifications.
Read more
- Digital and Population Data Services Agency Digital identity reform
- eIDAS Regulation
- Commission legislative proposal
- Government communication to Parliament on the Commission's proposal for amending Regulation (EU) No 910/2014 as regards establishing a framework for a European Digital Identity; Consideration of the matter in Parliament (in Finnish)
- Appointment decision of a national coordination group for the preparation of the European digital identity
Contact information
Laura Kolinen, Senior Specialist, The Ministry of Finance, tel. 0295530403, [email protected]