eIDAS 2.0 - A simple update or fundamental change?

In 2016, the European Union enacted the first iteration of the Electronic IDentification, Authentication and Trust Services (eIDAS) regulation. Its main objective was to facilitate the cross-border interoperability of digital services by enabling the mutual recognition of trust services.

However, the first iteration of eIDAS did not fully succeed in its original mission. In 2020, only 60% of EU citizens had access to a trusted identification system, while adoption and usage were even lower. It also became apparent that the interoperability of national services and infrastructures was not sufficient.

The second iteration of the regulation lays the groundwork and sets the technical standards of how a pan-European digital wallet ecosystem will work.