Digitizing documents, procedures, and services appears to be a reasonable first step as state governments look for gradual but effective IT transformation projects. States may facilitate a more comprehensive digital transition by decreasing their dependence on antiquated paper-based procedures. Providing instant advantages to citizens and operations at the same time. Throughout the European Union, the new eIDAS law offers a strong foundation to support the shift to trustworthy digital interactions.
Photo: ENISA
The Drivers for Digital Document Adoption
Two key factors motivate states to pursue digitization of forms and workflows – budget constraints and change management risks. Modernizing archaic legacy systems requires substantial investment, yet IT budgets remain highly constrained by competing priorities.
Photo: People obtaining government information online in 2023, Eurostat
According to a 2019 U.S. Government Accountability Office report, a staggering 80% of the federal government’s $90 billion IT budget went towards operating and maintaining existing outdated investments.
Photo: The 10 Critical Federal Legacy Systems Most in Need of Modernization, as of June 2019, GAO
In addition, states are understandably cautious about disruptive large-scale IT overhauls that could jeopardize critical daily operations and services. Incremental digitization initiatives allow public sector organizations to chip away at modernization objectives without risking operational upheaval.
The Business Case for Digital Documents
Adopting digital documents confers compelling cost-saving, efficiency, security, and experience advantages over entrenched paper-based processes. A U.S. Chamber of Commerce study found that paper forms cost the federal government $38.7 billion annually, while citizens spent 10.5 billion hours completing government paperwork in 2021 alone.
Agencies may decrease labor-intensive manual procedures, expedite service delivery, and save overhead costs related to printing, storing, and managing physical documents with digitizing forms, signatures, and approval workflows. Since digital documents include verifiable audit trails and encryption, they also naturally improve data security and integrity.
The fact that digital documents greatly improve employee and citizen experiences may be the most crucial benefit. While staff efficiency and satisfaction are increased by automated process capabilities and intuitive e-signature technology, public participation is enhanced by easy digital access to government materials.
EU Partnering for Scalable Digital Document Transformation
Given the profound potential impacts, states should carefully evaluate digital document solutions that can integrate with existing systems, scale seamlessly in line with modernization efforts, and provide a cohesive platform for managing the complete document lifecycle.
The eIDAS regulation creates a solid legal framework to make cross-border digital transactions inside the European Union secure and simple. eIDAS facilitates interoperability throughout the digital ecosystem and increases confidence in online services by standardizing processes related to electronic identification services.
Mutual recognition of eIDs issued by member nations is a fundamental component of eIDAS, as long as such eIDs fulfill specified assurance levels and get the appropriate notification. This facilitates cross-border digital interactions by enabling an eID issued in one nation to be accepted for authentication and digital signature purposes throughout the EU.
Different types of trust services are defined by the legislation; some of these categories have the “qualified” Trustmark, which denotes the highest standards of security and legal legitimacy. E-seals, e-signatures, registered e-delivery, and time-stamping for data integrity and non-repudiation are examples of these qualified trust services.
eIDAS, a significant modernizing breakthrough, establishes an easily compliant technology architecture. Through the establishment of precise guidelines for digital identity, electronic authentication, and information security, as well as the encouragement of mutual trust, eIDAS creates the foundation for secure, global digital public services. This achievement promotes a coherent and secure digital single market by ensuring a solid basis for digital transactions and enhancing interoperability across EU countries.
Proposed eIDAS Updates for the Digital Future
While eIDAS made great strides in establishing digital trust services, the proposed eIDAS 2.0 revision aims to enhance and expand the framework to account for technological evolution and meet new digital ecosystem needs.
A core enhancement involves the introduction of secure European Digital Identity Wallets, acting as encrypted mobile repositories for individuals to store and control the sharing of their identification credentials. This portable identity concept streamlines cross-border access to services while strengthening user privacy and consent principles.
Photo: The architecture of the EUDI Wallet ecosystem, Utimaco
Updates also broaden eIDAS applicability beyond just public sector use cases, mandating that large online platforms accept qualified electronic signatures and seals for identity verification and authentication. This expands the regulation’s impact to a wider swath of digital economy participants.
Other key updates encompass measures to further harmonize security requirements, mitigate risk, and strengthen the overall resiliency of the EU’s digital identity infrastructure. The comprehensive revision reinforces eIDAS’ vision as a horizontal enabler of trusted digital interactions.
Leveraging Blockchain for Verifiable Digital Credentials
Blockchain technology shows promise as a safe, decentralized framework for digital credential issuance, storage, and verification as digital identity becomes more and more important. Blockchain places the holder of the digital identity wallet in a position of sovereignty, enabling them to approve the safe dissemination of their verified credentials and accomplishments. It also enables government agencies, employers, and educational institutions to issue unchangeable credential attestations to the wallet.
Several nations have initiated blockchain-anchored digital credential projects spanning areas like academic degrees, professional licenses, employee skills certifications, and COVID-19 vaccination/testing status. These decentralized approaches aim to streamline digital verification processes while preventing fraud.
The Road Ahead for Integrated Digital Transformation
While discrete digitization of documents and services yields meaningful productivity and experience enhancements, states can compound those benefits by executing within a cohesive digital government strategy. By leveraging eIDAS-aligned digital identity infrastructure and blockchain-based credential issuing, government digital ecosystems can establish secure interoperability across agencies and services.
Under eIDAS 2.0, digital identity wallets will be used for real-world transactions, including getting a prescription filled, opening a bank account, and proving one’s academic standing. With the use of these wallets, persons will be able to confirm that they are legally permitted to live, work, or attend school in any of the EU’s member states.
These use cases are presently being tested as part of a pilot program. By digital futures, the EU hopes to lower fraud and encourage safe cross-border travel.
Together with his action-call counterparts, Robert Condon, Head of Ericsson’s Government and Policy Advocacy in Europe emphasized the need for lawmakers to create a true Digital Single Market, close the investment gap in digital connectivity, and refrain from adding needless regulations for businesses involved in the digital ecosystem. He underlined that by using the promise of new technologies, Europe must grasp the chance to emerge as a worldwide leader in the industrial internet.
According to Condon, in order to promote the implementation of a top-notch digital infrastructure, embrace productivity-enhancing technologies, and make sure that the legislative framework is appropriate for the future, Member States and the EU must collaborate with business.
A holistic roadmap reimagining government operations around accessibility, efficiency, and verifiable digital interactions positions states for resilient, user-centric digital transformation. Incremental digitization of paperwork may serve as the on-ramp, but eIDAS and allied technologies will propel states into an integrated and modernized digital future.
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