The Industry, Research and Energy Committee adopted its position on the proposed update of the European digital identity framework (eID) by 55 votes to 8, with 2 abstentions.

The new eID would allow citizens to identify and authenticate themselves online (via a European digital identity wallet) without having to resort to commercial providers, as is the case today – a practice that raised trust, security and privacy concerns. It would also give users full control of their data and let them decide what information to share and with whom.

In their amendments, MEPs propose to make the European Digital Identity Wallet a tool that can also read and verify electronic documents, and allow for peer-to-peer interactions. They propose measures to strengthen privacy and cybersecurity as well as to register all transactions to ensure third parties are held accountable.

Using the EU wallet will always be voluntary. MEPs also want to ensure that citizens who choose not to adopt it are not treated differently to those who do. The scheme would require each member state to notify at least one “Wallet” under a national eID scheme to make them interoperable at EU level.

The draft legislation includes provisions to securely request, obtain, store, combine and use personal identification data and electronic certificates, that can be used to authenticate online and offline and to access goods and public and private services.

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“Rapporteur Romana Jerković (S&D, HR) said: “With the…