The development of the European Digital Identity Wallet is ongoing: the first version of the reference architecture has been published

The adoption of digital identity is advancing in Europe. The European Parliament is preparing an eIDAS Regulation that enables the implementation of European Digital Identity Wallets. Identity wallets enable the safe and reliable identification of a person and verification of other data, such as information about completed degrees, acquired professional qualifications, or the validity of a driving licence. The European Digital Identity Wallet would work in the entire EU area.

The solution is being developed simultaneously in terms of both legislation and the technical implementation. The European Commission has now published the first version of the reference architecture, and it is available on the Commission's website.

This first version of the reference architecture document contains the areas that have been sufficiently specified so far. It is intended for use in the Commission's reference implementation and pilot projects. Contents of the reference architecture:

• roles in the wallet ecosystem

• lifecycle of the wallet

• requirements for the attestation of person identification data attributes (PID) and other electronic attributes (QEAA, EAA)

• data exchange protocols in different use cases

• configuration requirements

• preliminary description of the certification process

The contents of the reference architecture are limited, and the descriptions for the more demanding functionalities will be supplemented later. The reference architecture will be updated every couple of months on the basis of the feedback received from the technical working group, the Commission's reference implementation, and the EU pilot projects. 

The Digital and Population Data Services Agency organises an eIDAS Toolbox webinar on 17 February, in which the reference architecture will be discussed in detail. The webinar is open to everyone, but requires signing up in advance. Sign up for the webinar here.

Finland is actively involved in the technical specification process and legislative drafting

The development of the European Digital Identification Wallet application is based on the Commission's legislative proposal of June 2021 amending the EU's so-called eIDAS Regulation. The eIDAS Regulation provides for the identification of persons in cross-border transactions and trust services for e-services. With the legislative amendment, the regulation would also provide for European Digital Identity Wallet applications in the future.      

In Finland, the Ministry of Finance is responsible for the preparation of the European Digital Identity Wallet as a whole, and has appointed a national coordination group for the preparation of the European digital identity. 

The Commission has appointed a technical specifications working group, which includes representatives from the Digital and Population Data Services Agency and the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency Traficom. In addition, Finland has a wide range of representatives involved in the use case groups preparing use cases for the Wallet. 

The Digital and Population Data Services Agency coordinates national cooperation related to the technical specification of the reform. The aim is to ensure that Finnish actors are aware of the progress of the work at the EU level and that Finland's views are communicated and taken into account. Every two weeks, the Digital and Population Data Services Agency holds open webinars related to the technical specification work around the European Digital Identity Wallet. 

Finland has also applied for funding for piloting the European Digital Identity Wallet together with other countries.

Towards interoperability with a national solution

At the same time, a national digital identity reform is under way, in which the Digital and Population Data Services Agency together with the National Police Board are developing a digital proof of identity, a digital ID for foreigners, and an alternative identification solution (Code Display). The aim is for the national solutions to be interoperable with the European specifications.

Read more about the digital identity reform.

Not enough time remains in the current session of the Finnish Parliament for legislative initiatives that would enable digital identity reform to be processed. Preparations for a European Digital Identity Wallet continue. Read more.