*This may not have been the most fortunate moment for a launch of this kind.
This is a visible and verified logo that will be displayed on websites across Europe. It will reassure people that those online services can be trusted and that they are of an EU-regulated quality in compliance with eIDAS rules. It will reassure you, for example, that the certificate that you are using to sign an important contract will be legally recognised throughout Europe.
The challenge now is to get people to make more use of trust services but also of electronic IDs so that they become "business as usual": online services that go beyond national borders and across all sectors, in particular financial, banking, transport, healthcare and public administration.
In today's fast moving digital world, people want - and need - to be able to manage and authenticate their identities online, safely and conveniently.
These are exactly the principles of eIDAS.
Take mobile payments, which are becoming a firm reality in Europe and represent a good alternative to cash payments. They depend on secure digital identities as the basis for online authentication. This is a sector with massive growth potential, with many opportunities to make more use of eIDAS.
But these are only the first steps towards widespread and everyday use of eIDAS services.
Increasing trust in the digital world is not simple or quick. There is still a long way to go, especially in terms of raising awareness….
