The European Parliament approves the launch of digital wallet. What it means for Ukraine

The European Parliament has voted in favour of creating a legislative framework for digital identification in the European Union. This serves as the basis for the acceleration of the implementation of the European Digital Wallet (EUDI). Once the digital wallet is introduced, Ukrainians will be able to use Diia in Europe, and Europeans will be able to use theirs in Ukraine, informed the press service of the Ministry of Digital Transformation.

Key facts

• Member states of the Potential consortium, which includes Ukraine, are now required to launch their national EU wallets within 24 months, and prototype testing is to be completed by April 2025.
• The EU Digital Wallet is a mobile product that will allow users to securely store and share their personal data electronically. It will operate both domestically and internationally and will have common standards and specifications for all EU countries.
• Within the framework of the pilot project, Potential will test six different types of services: online access to government services; convenient and secure online bank account opening; permanent access to driver’s license on a smartphone; SIM card registration; use of electronic signatures; and receipt of electronic medical prescriptions.
• Once the digital wallet is introduced, Ukrainians will be able to use Diia in Europe, and Europeans will be able to use theirs in Ukraine, informed the press service of the Ministry of Digital Transformation.

Context

In 2023, Ukraine joined the Potential consortium together with 18 EU countries. Together with their European colleagues, Ukrainians developed requirements for the European wallet and scenarios for its use. They also shared their experience of implementing the Diia application, in which most of the functions provided by the EUDI wallet were already working long before the presentation of the European Commission’s proposal. Particularly, Ukrainians regularly use Diia to make the interaction with the state easier, the Ministry of Digital Transformation reminded.

Ukraine is the only non-EU country in the consortium that is already working on the future of electronic identification in Europe.

The involvement of the Ministry of Digital Transformation in the EU Digital Wallet pilot project is carried out with the support of the EU within the framework of the DT4UA project, which is implemented by the Estonian e-Governance Academy.

Jointly managed by France and Germany, Potential is one of four large-scale pilot projects selected by the Commission to experiment with digital identity across Europe.

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