The European Council has proposed the change as a part of a new package of legislation.
The Council of the European Union has unveiled changes to a proposed package of legislation intended to make it legal for EU drivers to be able to add their licenses to mobile wallets in the form of the European Digital Identity Wallets.
The first proposals were put forward by the European Union Commission as a “road safety package” component.
This one of the two proposed legislative packages would include an entire overhaul of the Directive on Driving Licenses in the European Union, according to the Council’s General Secretariat report on the amendments that have been proposed. Among the changes that are suggested for the proposal would include aligning the mDLs’ technical components with the digital identity regulation of the eIDAS. The Council has also stated that it is seeking a more powerful connection between the obligations of member states and act implementation.
“It is encouraging to see the efforts proposed to increase public road safety throughout the EU and to embrace mobile driving license in the European Digital Wallet which will help in combating identity fraud,” said Neville Pattinson, the Business Development and Strategic Marketing head of Thales.
The rule change would mean motorists would be able to use mobile wallets as a legal driver’s license.
Drivers would be able to use their phones to present a digital version of their driver’s license and it would be considered a perfectly legal form of identification. Assuming the legislation passes, member states will need to make the mobile drivers’ licenses the only default form of license within half a decade of the adoption of the implementation of the acts. Before that time, they would have the option of issuing digital versions.
States will also be required to continue issuing physical driver’s licenses on request, providing motorists with the choice as to the type of identification they would like to carry.
Once the digital versions of the licenses are fully rolled out, five years following the implementation of the acts, member states will be obligated to recognize the mobile wallet drivers’ licenses from all other member states.
