eIDAS — Electronic Identification and Trust Services Regulation
eIDAS: EU regulation on electronic identification and trust services governing cross-border digital signatures, seals, and eID recognition across the EU.
Summary
eIDAS (Electronic Identification, Authentication and Trust Services) is an EU Regulation that establishes a unified legal framework for electronic identification and trust services in the EU internal market. It enables cross-border recognition of national eID systems and defines legally binding standards for electronic signatures, seals, timestamps, and registered delivery services.
- Electronic identification: Mutual recognition of notified national eID systems across the EU
- Qualified electronic signature (QES): Legally equivalent to a handwritten signature
- Trust service providers: Certified providers of signature, seal, timestamp, and delivery services
- EU Digital Identity Wallet (eIDAS 2.0): New unified digital wallet for all EU citizens
History
Prior to eIDAS, the EU Electronic Signatures Directive of 1999 applied, but it offered only minimum harmonisation and led to a fragmented legal landscape across member states. Regulation (EU) No 910/2014 was adopted on 23 July 2014 and came fully into force on 1 July 2016. It replaced the Signatures Directive and, as a regulation, created uniform law without the need for national implementing legislation. The revision — known as eIDAS 2.0 — was proposed by the Commission in 2021 and adopted on 11 April 2024 and entered into force on 20 May 2024. eIDAS 2.0 introduces the EU Digital Identity Wallet, enabling every EU citizen to hold a standardised digital identity on their smartphone.
Scope
eIDAS applies in all 27 EU member states and the EEA (Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein). The Regulation affects public authorities (required to recognise notified eIDs), trust service providers (TSPs), and private companies using electronic signatures or eID services. Third countries can conclude bilateral agreements for mutual eID recognition.
Key Requirements
- Recognition of notified eID systems from other member states by public authorities
- Three assurance levels for eIDs: low, substantial, high
- Authorisation and supervision of qualified trust service providers (TSPs) by national bodies
- Trust lists: public registers of qualified TSPs
- Qualified electronic signatures (QES) legally equivalent to handwritten signatures
- eIDAS 2.0: provision of EU Digital Identity Wallets by member states