Identities without borders

Imagine using your Swedish electronic signature for applying for a building permit for your summer home in Spain? It can soon turn into reality as the new EU regulation eIDAS is being introduced across Europe, enabling national electronic signatures to work across borders in the union.

When we introduced mobile bank ID in Sweden the introduction went incredibly fast. Very soon after introduction “everyone” had the signature in their mobile phone. There is no reason to believe the introduction of eIDAS will be as fast. Officially eIDAS will start working on September 29, 2018.

That might seem like far into the future. But if you consider that all member countries have to change and adapt their national structures for electronic signature, then two years goes very fast.

In Sweden, it is the Swedish E-identification board, who is responsible for ensuring that Sweden is aligning its national electronic signage infrastructure to the eIDAS framework. Sweden has come very far in this process. A new Swedish eID is currently being rolled out, that is already prepared to work with the eIDAS framework.

neXus are very active in the work on the new Swedish eID as well as eIDAS. The company for example has a team who focuses on eIDAS on a European level.

It is hard to say in advance how strong interest there will be among citizens for cross-border electronic signage. Most likely there will not be hundreds of millions of Europeans who will use it right away. But there is an enormous potential with the system and in the longer perspective it can have a positive impact in how identities are secured all over Europe.

We at neXus are enjoying to be part of this journey towards eIDAS, to shape the future of identifying ourselves, making our life easier, regardless if you happen to be in Marseille or Malmö.

/Stefan Runneberger