Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Friday, Mar 29, 2024

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

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
China Criticizes US for Vetoing UN Ceasefire Resolution in Gaza
Saudi Arabia ranks first in UN index for e-government services in MENA
Israel Records 20% Drop In GDP, War In Gaza Is The Reason
Saudi Arabia's FDI Inflows Grow with New International Standards
Venture Capitals Power Up Across MENA Region
PM Modi Announces Opening Of New CBSE Office In Dubai
January Funding for MENA Startups Totals $86.5 Million
Saudi Arabia accelerates digital economy growth through Nvidia partnership
Israel unveils tunnels underneath Gaza City headquarters of UN agency for Palestinian refugees
Israel deploys new military AI in Gaza war
Egypt threatens to suspend key peace treaty if Israel pushes into Gaza border town, officials say
Saudi Arabia Warns Of A "Humanitarian Catastrophe" If Israel Moves On Rafah
US University To Shut Qatar Campus Due To "Heightened Mideast Instability"
Facebook and Instagram Ban Iran's Supreme Leader
Defense Technology Showcase Held in Riyadh
Saudi Arabia’s non-oil exports rise 2.5% to $6bn in November 2023: GASTAT
Rolls-Royce Executive Encourages Saudi Women to Tap into Their Inner 'Superhero' for Success in Defense Industry
Saudi Arabia launches National Academy of Vehicles and Cars
Saudi Tourism Minister Reveals Plan for 250,000 New Hotel Rooms by 2030
SAR to more than double eastern network passenger capacity with new trains deal
Saudi Arabia Enhances National Defense with New Partnerships
Saudi Aramco Maintains Arab Light Crude Pricing to Asia for March
NEOM Establishes New York Office to Support Investors
Saudi Wealth Fund Draws in Over $25 Billion Worth of Investments in Three Years, Al-Rumayyan Reveals
The Saudi Kingdom's Ultimatum to Israel: A Win-Win Peace with Saudi Arabia and the Arab World, or a Lose-Lose Continued Occupation and Endless Conflict
Biden condemns anti-Arab hate after WSJ opinion piece calls Dearborn ‘jihad capital’
Turkey Releases Seven Hostages Captured by Pro-Gaza Gunman
Arab Parliament Commends Women's Contributions to Societal Development
British and Hungarian Foreign Ministers visited Lebanese leaders to stress the importance of enacting UN Resolution 1701
Yemen's Houthis Say They Targeted British Merchant Vessel In Red Sea
Donald Trump Nominated for Nobel Peace Prize for 'Historic' Middle East Policy
US lawmakers approve F-16 jet sale to Turkey following NATO expansion support
Saudi Arabia Climbs 25 Places in World Bank's National Statistics Indicator
Tourism Growth in Saudi Arabia Fuels Advancements in the Hospitality Industry," Says Rotana Official
Houthi Rebels Request Departure of UN Staff from Yemen, Including US and UK Personnel, within a Month
Modi Inaugurates Hindu Temple on Site of Demolished Mosque in India
Over 25,000 Deaths in Gaza Amid Israeli Offensive
Escalating Clashes in Gaza as Israel Distributes Leaflets to Assist in Locating Hostages
Turkey's First Astronaut Set to Launch for International Space Station Today
Head of Palestinian Investment Fund Warns More People May Die of Hunger Than War in Gaza
Palestinian Envoy Criticizes UK for Alleged 'Double Standards' in Policies Toward Israel
Morocco to Lead UN Human Rights Council in 2024
Is artificial intelligence the solution to cyber security threats?
Egypt has been identified as the leading military force among Arab nations and ranks 15th globally
The AI Revolution in the Workforce: CEOs at Davos Predict Major Job Cuts in 2024
Iranian Nobel Laureate Narges Mohammadi Receives Additional Prison Sentence
"Gazans Urge Israeli Forces to Target Hamas in Leaked Audio"
Biden States US and UK Airstrikes on Houthis Were a 'Defensive Action
Large Pro-Palestine Rally in London as Gaza Conflict Hits Day 100
South Africa Urges World Court to Halt Israeli Actions in Gaza
×