Tursky: EU-wide digital ID cards are on the way. Final details of the European digital wallet finalised. Following Austria's example, digital ID cards will soon be part of everyday life in the EU. European pioneer of the digital driving licence
In future, all people living in Europe should be able to identify themselves digitally throughout the EU. Negotiators from the European Parliament and EU member states agreed on the final details of a digital wallet for smartphones in Brussels on Wednesday. The agreement in principle was already reached at the end of June.
Austria is a European pioneer with ID-Austria and the digital ID platform "eAusweise" and already won the gold medal in the category "Best project for the use of innovative technologies and infrastructures 2022" at the award ceremony of the 21st eGovernment Competition in Berlin on 6 September 2022. In the jury's view, ID Austria is "a suitable model for a Europe-wide digital identity".
"ID-Austria and our digital ID cards already fulfil all the requirements of an EU wallet and enable access to EU-wide digital services. This allows online transactions and contacts with authorities to be processed simply, securely, digitally and quickly. I am therefore very pleased that we have found an acceptable compromise for the eIDAS Ordinance at European level, as this means that, among other things, the digital driving licence will be recognised not only in Austria but throughout the EU in future," said State Secretary for Digitalisation and Telecommunications, Florian Tursky.
Highest security standards
ID-Austria fulfils the highest Austrian and European security and data protection standards and has already been developed to be eIDAS-compliant, i.e. ID-Austria essentially fulfils all the requirements for use as an EU wallet. ID-Austria has even been recognised by the EU as the most secure mobile solution of all EU countries.
Of course, it is now important to actively participate in the various European standardisation processes and certification measures and to establish the existing Austrian products on the European market.
Currently, 1,618,420 people are already registered with ID-Austria and can therefore use over 400 connected services. Over 390,000 digital driving licences and over 59,000 digital proofs of age are currently activated.
Further steps
The final text will be published in the Official Gazette in February 2025 and the implementing act, which will clarify the technical details, in summer 2025. From this point onwards, the member states must create a wallet.
"From 2026, every EU country must have its own wallet for its digital ID cards. The first European ID card will then be the digital driving licence. The aim is for the digital driving licence to be recognised everywhere in Europe by autumn 2026. However, we already have the basis and are therefore considered pioneers," concluded State Secretary Florian Tursky