European Commission unveils plan for digital ID wallet

Brussels, June 4 The European Commission has unveiled its plan for a new Digital Identity wallet, which will be available to all citizens, residents and businesses in the European Union (EU).

According to the proposal unveiled on Thursday, EU citizens would be able to sign up voluntarily for the wallet, which would allow them to access a wide range of public services and store official documents, reports Xinhua news agency.

"Today we propose to offer Europeans a new digital identity. One that ensures trust and protects users online," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Twitter.

"With it, you will be able to prove your identity and share electronic documents from your European Digital Identity wallet with the click of a button on your phone.".

Users who sign up for it will also be able to access online services with their national digital identification, which will be recognised throughout Europe.

The digital wallet "will enable us to do in any member state as we do at home without any extra cost and fewer hurdles", Margrethe Vestager, the European Commission's executive vice president for a Europe fit for the digital age, told the media.

The European Digital ID wallet offers "a new possibility for (users) to store and use data for all sorts of services, from checking in at the airport to renting a car", Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton commented.