The European Commission has launched a call for contributions to help shape regulations for the European Business Wallet, a planned digital identity platform designed to streamline cross-border operations for companies across EU member states. The public consultation is open until June 12, 2025, with the final regulation expected in the fourth quarter of the year.
Streamlining Business Identity Across Borders
Announced by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on January 29, 2025, as part of the EU’s Competitiveness Compass strategy, the European Business Wallet is intended to unify how businesses verify their credentials and interact with public administrations. The system builds on the European Digital Identity Framework and the eIDAS 2 proposal, both aimed at standardizing digital identity systems across the bloc.
In practice, the Business Wallet would allow companies to manage a range of administrative tasks—such as licensing, compliance filings, and tax registrations—through a single digital interface. “It aims to federate, under a single cryptographic key, the thousand drawers of national bureaucracies,” said Mathieu Gitton, former director of a European Commission representative office in Brussels.
The goal is to replace redundant, paper-based verification processes with secure, real-time digital interactions, improving efficiency and reducing costs for enterprises operating in multiple countries. The initiative is expected to benefit small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in particular, many of which face disproportionate barriers when navigating differing national requirements.
Part of a Broader Competitiveness Agenda
The Business Wallet is a central element in the Commission’s broader efforts to foster competitiveness and innovation within the EU’s single market. The recently introduced “Choose Europe to Start and Scale” strategy is another component of this agenda, aimed at attracting and retaining startups and high-growth technology companies by easing operational and regulatory burdens.
The technical foundation of the Business Wallet will leverage existing digital identity infrastructure established under the eIDAS framework. While specific implementation partners have not been named in official releases, the system is expected to work with certified identity providers and integrate with other EU-wide digital services currently under development.
The initiative also supports the EU’s ongoing push to modernize governance and support digital transformation across sectors. It complements planned projects like the Blue Carpet initiative, which will focus on entrepreneurial education and the facilitation of cross-border employment between 2025 and 2026, although further details about that program are still emerging.
Businesses, industry groups, public agencies, and other stakeholders are invited to contribute to the consultation process. The Commission has emphasized the importance of balancing streamlined operations with robust security and privacy standards as it finalizes the regulatory framework later this year.
Sources: IdentityWeek, EU-Startups, European Commission
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May 29, 2025 – by Cass Kennedy
