Signing documents is essential for citizens and service providers in today’s digital landscape. According to the legal requirements set out in the eIDAS Regulation, users must be able to sign using the European Digital Identity Wallet (EUDIW). 

NOBID’s WP8 plays a crucial role in advancing Europe’s digital identity framework by laying the groundwork for a secure and standardized digital signing ecosystem. 

Key objectives and activities 

The goal of NOBID’s WP8 is to pilot digital signatures using the EUDIW in use cases where signing is needed. 

Its specific activities include: 

  • the provision of specifications for the piloting of the signature; 
  • the development according to these specifications; 
  • the pilot of the implementation for specific use cases (in cooperation with other WPs in NOBID). 

Besides, WP8 coordinates activities related to signing and trust services across the four Large Scale Pilots (LSPs). It’s also responsible for liaising between NOBID and the European standards organizations ETSI (European Telecommunications Standards Institute) and CEN (European Committee for Standardization). Therefore, WP8 contributes to the development of standards for the EUDIW and its ecosystem.

While the piloting will not use the Qualified Electronic Signature (QES), as formal compliance requirements (including audits) cannot be implemented within the timeframe of NOBID, the pilot shall be technically capable of supporting the QES. 

Milestones 

WP8’s work focuses on achieving three key milestones. The initial phase is based on delivering a comprehensive overview of signing approaches (or architectures) for the EUDIW and choosing one primary approach. Alternative approaches will continue to be monitored, based on the level of support from current implementations and services.  

According to the selected approach, signing will be initiated by the service provider and will follow this process: 

  • The user is shown the documents to sign and is asked for consent to sign;
  • The consent is confirmed by the EUDIW user by PID authentication, which triggers either the activation of an existing signing certificate or the issuance of a one-shot certificate to be used for a single signing session only. 

The second milestone of WP8 targets full technical readiness by the end of Q1 or early Q2 of 2025 for piloting with the defined use cases, the actors involved in the needed roles, and the functionality in place. 

Lastly, the third milestone envisages piloting test use cases with test users and summing up the results in the final deliverable of WP8. 

Benefits for citizens, businesses, and stakeholders 

The benefits of signing for citizens and businesses include the following: 

  • Seamless integration. Signing is readily available for all users, ensuring immediate and reliable access to signing for both citizens and businesses; 
  • Universal admissibility. The QES level of the signature guarantees its legal validity and acceptance for any purpose across the EU; 
  • Enhanced digital processes. The availability of compliant signing capabilities ensures that digital processes are no longer hindered by an actor’s inability to provide a legally valid signature; 
  • Convenience and accessibility. Citizens and businesses can effortlessly interact with service providers and counterparts without the need for additional tools or configurations. 

These benefits foster a more efficient, secure, and user-friendly digital ecosystem for all stakeholders. 

Main participants and contributors 

The participants in WP8 are a combination of trust service providers that can offer the necessary building blocks for signing done at the service provider side, financial service providers interested in signing with the EUDIW, and government agencies.  

Some trust service providers will manage the user-facing signing service, responsible for document presentation and obtaining consent, while others will offer remote QES services, handling signing keys for EUDIW holders and issuing the required certificates. 

Progress and next steps 

WP8 is currently defining the detailed pilot use cases and the necessary setup for the piloting with the trust service providers participating in the WP. 

The main use case identified is onboarding to financial services, where the pilot will be done in cooperation with WP6. Onboarding typically involves verifying identity through PID authentication, submitting required information as attribute attestations, and finalizing the process by signing the contract with the financial service provider.