The European Commission is expected to propose new rules on Monday (4 June) aimed at encouraging European Union member states to recognise the electronic identification information of other countries’ citizens.

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Neelie Kroes, the European commissioner for the digital agenda, is to put forward the draft legislation in an attempt to make e-IDs mutually recognisable across the EU’s internal borders.

The new regulation – which will have to be approved by the European Parliament and member states – would not oblige countries to participate nor introduce a standardised system of e-IDs. Instead, countries would work together on the inter-operability of their systems.

The legislation would allow countries that opt in to enable their citizens to make use of e-ID systems in other member states. In return, countries would have to allow people from other opted-in countries to use their e-IDs to gain access to public services.

e-ID system

The Commission has stopped short of calling for a standardised e-ID system because many countries have vastly differing arrangements in place. Ten countries have no system at all. They would not be forced to introduce them under the regulation.

The draft regulation will also include a review of the existing e-signature directive that came into force in 1999. The Commission wants to ensure that the rules – which lay down requirements for recognition of online ‘signatures’ – are applied in a more consistent way across the EU.

The proposal is the last of 12 projects to be planned by the Commission to boost the single market, as set out by Michel Barnier, the European commissioner for the internal market and services, in April last year.