On 16 – 17 March, the first meeting of the European Ecosystem Advisory Board (EEAB) took place in Vienna as part of the Aptitude project, coordinated by France Titres. The meeting brought together experts from academia, public institutions, industry, and civil society, marking a key milestone for Europe’s digital identity ecosystem.
The Advisory Board has been established to provide independent expertise and recommendations supporting a trusted, ethical, and inclusive European digital identity framework. Its launch also introduced the Aptitude consortium, which brings together 115 partners across 12 countries, and initiated discussions on key topics including regulatory compliance, fundamental rights, and civil society engagement.
The board reflects the project’s commitment to compliance, European Values and civil society engagement. It also highlights the importance of translating legal and ethical requirements into technical specifications, highlighting the need for continuous collaboration among stakeholders.
Beyond the technical dimension, discussions underlined that digital identity is also a societal and democratic issue. While debates often focus on interoperability, standards, and security, the European Digital Identity Wallet promotes a model in which citizens hold credentials issued by trusted organisations and control how their personal data is shared—supporting a distributed ecosystem of trust rather than centralised data structures.
The establishment of the Advisory Board reflects a shared ambition to build a European digital identity that is secure, interoperable, and grounded in transparency, accountability, and respect for fundamental rights. It also serves as a platform to foster dialogue on the societal implications of digital identity and to ensure that the perspectives of civil society and end users are fully considered.
