Electronic Identity: easy access to public services across the EU

EUROPEAN COMMISSION PRESS RELEASE

Electronic Identity: easy access to public services across the EU

(30 May 2008)Today, the European Commission unveils a pilot project to ensure cross-border recognition of national electronic identity (eID) systems and enable easy access to public services in 13 Member States. Throughout the EU, some 30 million national eID cards are used by citizens to access a variety of public services such as claiming social security and unemployment benefits or filing tax returns. The Commission's project will enable EU citizens to prove their identity and use national electronic identity systems (passwords, ID cards, PIN codes and others) throughout the EU, not just in their home country. The plan is to align and link these systems without replacing existing ones. The project will run for three years and receive EUR 10 million funding from the European Commission and an equal contribution from the participating partners.

See also: Project factsheet : eID