The European Commission will propose on Thursday the introduction of so-called digital wallets, which will provide access to a wide range of services for the 450 million inhabitants of the European Union, a new step towards greater integration after the Covid-19 pandemic, reports Bloomberg . The digital wallet will function as an electronic identity document, on which EU citizens can store personal data and official documents, such as driving licenses, medical prescriptions and diplomas.
“According to the new rules, European Digital Wallets will be available to everyone,” reads a preliminary version of the proposal consulted by Bloomberg.
Several European states already offer digital forms of identity documents, so the new application proposed by the Community Executive would interact with the existing systems and give EU citizens the right to a service that is recognized throughout the EU.
The digital wallet (e-wallet) will not be mandatory, according to Bloomberg, according to Agerpres.
What is the e-wallet for?
Thanks to the new digital wallets, which will be in the form of a phone application, similar to those used on Android and Apple phones, EU citizens will be able to rent cars outside their country of origin, prove their age, apply for a loan, open a bank account, file a tax return and enroll in a university.
The Covid-19 pandemic accelerated the European integration process, given that last year the member states agreed on an economic stimulus program focused on investments in green energy and digitization, a program supported by joint loans. In addition, member state governments have instructed the European Commission to purchase vaccines on their behalf and have also introduced travel certificates for those who have been vaccinated, tested negative or recovered from the virus.
The European Commission has proposed to deliver a technical instrument that can be used to introduce digital wallets by October 2022.