Polish Ministry of Digital Affairs presents draft amendment suggesting replacement of national app with EU digital identity wallet.
eIDAS 2.0 vs. mObywatel
The Ministry of Digital Affairs has presented a draft amendment to the law on trust services and electronic identification. The aim is to align Polish regulations with the European Commission’s regulation and implement eIDAS 2.0 requirements, which obliges EU member states to provide citizens with a European digital identity wallet.
New regulations are set to improve supervision over qualified trust service providers and the national electronic identification scheme. Media reports indicate that the ministry stated in its justification that mObywatel app solutions, established based on national regulations, are “fundamentally different” from the requirements for the European digital identity wallet established in the eIDAS regulation.
Two Apps During Transition Period
The project’s justification reportedly states that the ministry believes maintaining two apps offering similar functions doesn’t make sense, both for cost reasons and to avoid confusing users. The document provides for a transition period where both apps will operate in parallel.
Both the new app and mObywatel will be optional, with citizens deciding whether to install them on their smartphones.
Ministry Responds to Changes
Dariusz Standerski from the Ministry of Digital Affairs commented on the matter. On his channel on X (formerly Twitter), he wrote that “PAP report is misleading – contrary to suggestions in the text, no one is excluding anything. The mObywatel ecosystem is developing and will join the European Digital Identity Wallet.”
