eIDAS 2.0 – European Digital Identity

Overview

eIDAS 2.0 fundamentally overhauls the EU regulation on electronic identification and trust services. At its core is the European Digital Identity Wallet (EUDIW), which will provide every EU citizen with a secure, cross-border digital identity.

Who Is Affected?

eIDAS 2.0 affects a broad range of actors:

• Member states (must provide wallets)
• Trust service providers (qualified electronic signatures, seals, timestamps)
• Regulated sectors with identification requirements (banking, telecommunications, healthcare)
• Very large online platforms (age verification)
• Public administration (all services)

Core Obligations

1. Wallet acceptance: Regulated sectors and public services must accept the EU Digital Identity Wallet
2. Qualified electronic attestations of attributes: New trust service for verified credentials
3. Electronic signatures: Extended recognition of qualified electronic signatures
4. Privacy by design: User control over shared data, selective disclosure
5. Interoperability: Cross-border recognition across all EU member states
6. Security requirements: High assurance level (eIDAS “high”) for the wallet

National Transposition

eIDAS 2.0 applies directly as a regulation, but wallet provision is the responsibility of member states:

• Germany: BMDI coordinating development of the German wallet
• Austria: Building on the existing Handy-Signatur/ID Austria system
• Switzerland: Not directly affected; own e-ID legislation in development