Last June, the European Commission proposed a breakthrough novelty: a European Digital Identity Wallet. Every Member State shall issue a Wallet for citizens and businesses to identify and authenticate online. Member States are already drafting together a common architecture to ensure interoperability and mutual trust across the EU.

This European Digital Identity Wallet could be a silent revolution in the digital world. Through the Wallet, users should be able to securely store and share, on request and under their sole control, identification data, as well as credentials/attributes (e.g. driving licence, diploma).

The use of the Wallet is voluntary; hence a wide uptake is not necessarily guaranteed. One must keep in mind that other solutions are available on the market. Thus, the future European Digital Identity Wallet needs to be attractive.

What could then ensure the widest possible uptake? The best security and privacy features? Relying on international standards? Or simply user-friendliness? Which "other ingredients" would you add?

Our distinguished speakers will give their views on these questions.

• Programme

  Open remarks

  Andrus Ansip MEP, Vice-Chair of the Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee and EIF Steering Committee Member

  Speakers

  Lorena Boix Alonso, Director for Digital Society, Trust & Cybersecurity, DG CNECT, European Commission

  Alban Feraud, President of Eurosmart

  Jens Bender, Head of Division, Federal Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information, Germany

  Moderator

  Maria Rosa Gibellini, Director General, European Internet Forum

  Exchange of views with the participants under the Chatham House rule