How the EU Digital Strategy and Gaia-X make a difference
eIDAS v2 & Gaia-X: Europe's Digital Trust Revolution, and the ROI of EU Data Sovereignty
eIDAS v2 changes the framework for digital identities in the EU fundamentally by introducing the EU Digital Identity Wallet (EUDI Wallet) as a central element. The new regulations are closely linked to other EU laws on the data economy (DGA, Data Act, DMA) to create a coherent digital ecosystem.
What Changes with eIDAS v2?
The eIDAS v2 regulation (officially: Amended eIDAS Regulation) was adopted in May 2024 and replaces the original 2014 regulation.
Introduction of the EUDI Wallet (EU Digital Identity Wallet):
All EU Member States must provide their citizens with a digital wallet by early 2027.
Purpose of the Wallet:
Citizens can use it to securely prove their digital identity and digitally store and manage various official documents (driver's licenses, educational qualifications, health cards).
Mandatory Acceptance:
Larger private companies (in regulated sectors) and public bodies will be required to accept the EUDI Wallet for their services.
Improved Cross-Border Interoperability:
The wallet is based on uniform technical standards, enabling seamless use across the entire EU.
More Control for Users:
The regulation places great emphasis on data protection and self-determination; users retain control over which data they want to share with whom.
New Trust Services:
New types of trust services are being introduced, e.g., for electronic archiving or the management of electronic registers.
A European Digital Strategy for Sovereignty and Trust
The DGA, Data Act, and DMA eIDAS v2 is part of a comprehensive EU digital package. The various laws complement each other:
Data Governance Act (DGA):
The DGA regulates the trusted handling and availability of data within the EU. The EUDI Wallet (from eIDAS v2) will play a key role in securely authenticating the actors in data exchange under the DGA, thereby creating trust in voluntary data exchange mechanisms.
Data Act (DA):
The Data Act creates rules for fair access to and use of data, especially industrial data. Identification via the EUDI Wallet ensures that data access is secure and only for authorized users, as required by the Data Act. The laws together contribute to the creation of an EU single market for data.
Digital Markets Act (DMA):
The DMA aims to promote fair competition and limit the power of "gatekeeper" platforms. eIDAS v2, especially the Wallet, offers a standardized, European alternative to the proprietary identity solutions of large tech companies, which reduces dependency on them and indirectly serves the goals of the DMA.
In summary, eIDAS v2 provides the infrastructure for trustworthy digital identities, while the DGA, Data Act, and DMA establish the rules for handling data and competition in this new digital space.
The Gaia-X Standard for Compliance by Design in a Trusted Ecosystem
Gaia-X relates to eIDAS v2 and the other EU data laws in a complementary and infrastructural way. Gaia-X is not a law, but an initiative that creates the technical and organizational framework within which the laws function securely and trustworthily in practice.
How Gaia-X Relates to eIDAS v2 Foundation of Trustworthiness:
eIDAS v2 prescribes the rules for digital identity (EUDI Wallet) and trust services. Gaia-X provides the technical specifications and infrastructure that ensures service providers also adhere to these high standards.
Interoperability and Sovereignty:
The EUDI Wallet must function EU-wide and be secure. Gaia-X promotes open standards and a federated (networked, but decentralized) cloud infrastructure that prevents "lock-in" effects with large tech providers.
Practical Implementation:
The EUDI Wallet will be used as a trustworthy proof of identity in the data spaces (Data Spaces) defined by Gaia-X. The Role of Gaia-X in the Future and the Improvements
In the future, Gaia-X will assume the central role as the standard-setter for trustworthy digital ecosystems in Europe.
Guaranteed Compliance (Legal Certainty):
The "Gaia-X Compliance Engine" automatically checks whether services and data spaces comply with European rules. This creates the highest legal certainty for users of digital signatures and data spaces.
Reduced Dependency:
Europe becomes more independent of non-European hyperscalers (large cloud providers), as Gaia-X promotes alternative, trustworthy solutions based on European values.
Seamless Data Flow with Trust:
In interaction with the DGA and Data Act, Gaia-X enables secure and sovereign data exchange, where the data owner (e.g., a company or a person with the EUDI Wallet) retains full control.
Innovation Promotion:
Through the clear, trustworthy frameworks, innovative, data-driven business models can be implemented more easily and securely in Europe, for example in the health (EHDS) or mobility (Catena-X) sectors.
In short:
eIDAS v2 provides the laws, and Gaia-X provides the trustworthy technical foundation so that these laws can be implemented in a secure and sovereign European cloud infrastructure.