eIDAS 2.0: Significance, new features and differences from the previous regulation

eIDAS 2.0 appears more and more frequently when it comes to digital identities, electronic signatures, and the future EUDI Wallet in Europe. Many people know the term but aren’t exactly sure what it entails. However, the topic is important because eIDAS creates the legal framework that enables digital identities, credentials, and trust services to be used securely and across borders within the EU. The original eIDAS Regulation dates back to 2014. With Regulation (EU) 2024/1183, it was expanded and developed into the framework for the European Digital Identity.

The regulation didn’t simply appear out of nowhere. Even before, there were rules in the EU for electronic signatures. The basis was Directive 1999/93/EC. It was intended to create an initial legal framework but became insufficient over time. Digital processes became more important, while at the same time, there were many different national solutions in Europe. This made cross-border digital applications unnecessarily complicated.

Therefore, the EU adopted the eIDAS Regulation. It was decided in 2014 and was meant to create a uniform framework for electronic identification and trust services. The goal was to build more trust in digital transactions and ensure that digital identities and trust services work better together and are mutually recognized within the EU. The regulation came into force on September 17, 2014. The rules for trust services have been applicable since July 1, 2016.

With further digitalization, it became clear that this framework also needed to be developed further. Digital identities, in particular, gained more importance. The EU Commission therefore presented a proposal for further development in 2021. In 2024, the new rules for the European Digital Identity came into force.

eIDAS 2.0 is an EU regulation for electronic identification and trust services. Simply put, it regulates how people and organizations can identify themselves digitally, how documents can be electronically signed or sealed, and how digital credentials can be used in a trustworthy manner. The goal is to ensure that digital processes in Europe not only work technically but are also legally robust and usable across borders.

eIDAS primarily consists of two major areas: digital identities and trust services. Trust services include, for example, electronic signatures, electronic seals, timestamps, certificates, and electronic delivery services. What’s crucial is that eIDAS creates a common European framework for this. As a result, such solutions can be better recognized not only nationally but also between member states.

In practice, this means: Those who sign documents digitally, verify digital credentials, or secure identities online often operate directly or indirectly within the eIDAS framework. This is precisely why the regulation is so relevant for companies, authorities, and many digital platforms.

With eIDAS 2.0, the existing regulation was further developed. The most important new element is the EU Digital Identity Wallet, usually called the EUDI Wallet. It is intended to enable citizens and companies to securely store, manage, and selectively share identity data and digital credentials. The EU describes it as a digital wallet with which users can identify themselves online, present documents, and prove certain attributes without always disclosing more data than necessary.

Another new aspect is that the framework has become broader. In addition to the well-known trust services, eIDAS 2.0 includes additional components that are important for the new identity ecosystem. These include, for example, electronic attribute attestations, electronic archiving, and electronic ledgers. Familiar elements such as electronic signatures and seals remain but are embedded in a larger digital identity framework.

It’s also important to note that the EUDI Wallet doesn’t simply replace existing national digital identities. It builds on them and is intended to ensure that digital identities in Europe become more uniform, mobile, and usable across borders. According to the EU, member states should provide their wallets within 24 months after the relevant implementing acts. The Commission sets the end of 2026 as the target for this.

In short, when digital processes need to be trustworthy, legally secure, and work across borders. This is the case, for example, when people need to identify themselves online unambiguously, when documents are signed electronically, or when companies want to prove the origin and integrity of digital documents.

eIDAS is particularly relevant wherever not just any technical solution suffices, but a common legal standard is needed. This applies, for example, to qualified electronic signatures, electronic seals, timestamps, digital credentials, and in the future also the use of the EUDI Wallet. As soon as credentials need to be recognized between different organizations or even between different EU countries, eIDAS demonstrates its strength.

Not every digital process automatically requires eIDAS standards. However, as soon as it comes to robust identities, high security levels, verifiability, or regulatory requirements, the regulation quickly becomes relevant. For companies, authorities, and regulated industries, it is therefore not a peripheral issue but a central building block of the digital infrastructure in Europe.

With eIDAS, the EU Commission has created a foundation for digital identities and trust services in Europe. With eIDAS 2.0, this framework is significantly expanded, particularly through the EUDI Wallet and new forms of digital credentials. For companies and authorities, this primarily means that digital processes should become not only more secure in the future but also easier to use across Europe and better integrated into everyday life.