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Shaping Europe’s Digital Identity: Insights From the 2025 GlobalPlatform Digital Wallet Seminar

Ana Tavares Lattibeaudiere, Executive Director, GlobalPlatform

Download the presentation slides from this seminar.

GlobalPlatform held its third annual Digital Wallet Seminar in Brussels on 16 October, in partnership with Thales, Google, Infineon, and Fime. The event brought together EU policymakers and representatives from member states, alongside the innovative companies that are shaping the future of digital wallets in Europe. The timing could not be more critical. With the European Union Digital Identity (EUDI) Wallet set to deploy across the EU by the end of next year, the seminar provided a forum to explore the technical, regulatory, and social impacts of Europe’s transformational move to digital ID.

Across every discussion, one message was clear: Europe’s digital identity future is advancing quickly—and collaboration will define its success. Here are some of the key takeaways from this year’s Digital Wallet Seminar that illustrate where the EUDI Wallet ecosystem is headed next:

• Now is the time to accelerate. By the end of 2026, every EU Member State must offer at least one EUDI Wallet to residents. By the end of 2027, businesses will be legally obliged to accept EUDI Wallets. The clock is ticking—there’s no room for delay.
• There is a roadmap toward using Secure Elements (SEs). While early wallet deployments will focus on HSM technology, the clear consensus is that we will migrate to embedded SEs for the long term. The ability for SEs to function in offline environments is a key driver.
• The number of pilots and use cases is expanding. Numerous national pilots are underway, exploring a broad range of use cases beyond payments—including driving licenses, cross-border travel, business wallets, and more.
• Wallet deployments must center the consumer. Trust, usability, and data sovereignty remain paramount. Ensuring that digital wallets are user-friendly and privacy-preserving will be fundamental to their success.
• Certification will be a key enabler. While certification can be complex, it plays a vital role in building trust and ensuring security. A strong certification framework will help drive innovation and confidence in Europe’s digital identity ecosystem.
• Interoperability and standardization lead the way. A unified approach built on open standards will enable seamless use of EUDI Wallets across EU Member States.

Thought Leaders Share the Vision for Europe’s Digital Wallets

Keynote 1: Paolo De Rosa, CTO of the EUDI Wallet at the European Commission (above), opened the seminar by announcing €150 million in new funding for wallet developments and certifications. He emphasized that the EUDI Wallet would position Europe as a global leader in digital identity, payments, and data exchange. “Europe’s next digital decade runs on identity, and identity runs on hardware,” he told delegates.

Keynote 2: Jean-Daniel Aussel of Thales discussed preparations for Europe’s digital ID revolution. He noted that the key success factors for consumers will be convenience, security, and reach, and outlined the mix of Wallet Secure Cryptographic Devices (WSCDs) being deployed in the EUDI Wallet—noting the growing use of eSIMs based on GlobalPlatform technology.

Keynote 3: Google’s David Zeuthen presented the company’s digital credentials strategy, emphasizing the importance of open standards and open-source collaboration. He highlighted Google’s three-pillar approach of standardization, open source, and productization to ensure interoperability, privacy, and security, noting that Android and Chrome are now fully ready for digital credentials.

Keynote 4: Lauren Del Giudice of the European Central Bank (above) outlined the vision for the Digital Euro as the project moves into a new phase after two years of preparation. She explained how Europe’s payments market remains fragmented and heavily dependent on international card schemes. The Digital Euro therefore aims to strengthen Europe’s payment sovereignty through two complementary modes—online and offline—designed to ensure resilience, accessibility, and universal usability. Privacy is a key differentiator, with offline “proximity” payments delivering cash-like privacy through secure hardware.

Keynote 5: Eric Vétillard from the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) explored the challenges of certifying the EUDI Wallet. He explained that certification must navigate a myriad of regulatory frameworks and assurance models governing identity and cybersecurity across Europe. While the process is complex and still maturing, Vétillard stressed that certification provides a solid foundation for innovation.

Scaling Deployments: Infrastructure and Standards

GlobalPlatform CTO Gil Bernabeu outlined the infrastructure and technologies being put in place to support the deployment of EUDI Wallets. He noted that every smartphone shipped in Europe today features at least one eSIM, eSE, or SIM, and forecasts indicate there will be more than 9 billion eSIM-capable devices worldwide by 2030. This presents an ideal opportunity to certify and standardize SEs across billions of smartphones.

Gil explained how GlobalPlatform has developed two “EUDI Wallet enablers”—Secure Application for Mobile (SAM) and the Cryptographic Service Provider (CSP)—to facilitate secure and scalable deployments. SAM provides a centralized model for certificate management, simplifying key management across smartphones, while CSP allows for high-level security without the complexity of multi-platform management.

Unlocking New Use Cases and Opportunities

Markus Bohn of Giesecke+Devrient (G+D) discussed the potential of digital wallets to unlock new use cases, such as new payment flow processes, privacy protections, trusted payments (such as social welfare payments), and user onboarding. He emphasized that the keys to success are trust, usability, and the creation of an ecosystem based on interoperable solutions.

Laurent Bailly of Visa highlighted payments as a key use case driving adoption of EUDI Wallets. He noted that the European Wallet Consortium (EWC) oversaw the first-ever real-world EUDI Wallet transaction earlier this year—a €25 ferry ticket for a ferry company in Greece.

Annet Steenbergen, an independent advisor on digital ID, outlined the case for wallets to handle cross-border travel. She highlighted several examples around the world where digital ID is being used to speed up border security, comply with regulations, and improve the customer experience.

Looking Ahead in a Spirit of Collaboration

The seminar underscored the collaborative effort required to tackle the technical, regulatory, and societal challenges ahead. As Europe’s digital identity landscape evolves, the focus remains on creating secure, user-centric solutions that empower citizens and foster trust in digital services. With every EU Member State required to offer an EUDI Wallet by the end of 2026, stakeholders must align infrastructure, standards, and user readiness to fully seize this landmark digital opportunity.

 

Click here to learn more about the GlobalPlatform eID Wallet Task Force (eIDWTF), which is bringing industries together to develop digital wallets that enable security, privacy and enable frictionless deployment.