POTENTIAL Pilot Concludes, Setting the Stage for Europe's Digital Identity Wallets

Two and a half years of EU-wide planning and testing confirm that Europe's digital identity wallets can work securely across borders – if backed by common standards, strong governance, and citizen trust.

The POTENTIAL Large-Scale Pilot, one of four flagship initiatives under the Digital Europe Programme, has successfully concluded, marking a decisive step toward the deployment of the European Digital Identity Wallet (EUDI Wallet).

Over that period, more than 140 organisations from 19 Member States and Ukraine validated wallet use in six key areas: e-Government services, bank account opening, SIM card registration, mobile driving licence, qualified electronic signatures, and e-prescriptions. In total, more than 1,300 tests and over 1,000 successful transactions — including 249 cross-border — were completed, confirming technical feasibility and providing essential insights for policy and governance. Luxembourg's public sector was represented in this Large-Scale Pilot by two beneficiaries, the Ministry for Digitalisation and the Government IT Centre (CTIE). They worked on four of the six key areas mentioned above. For more details on the national perspective on POTENTIAL, see the POTENTIAL file online.

"POTENTIAL has proven that Europe can achieve cross-border interoperability, but only if we apply common standards rigorously. Security is not just about technology — it requires governance, certification, and liability. And above all, citizens' trust will depend on wallets that are simple, transparent, and designed with privacy at their core. Looking ahead, the lessons of POTENTIAL will guide the transition from pilots to production, ensuring that the wallets will be secure, interoperable, and trusted across Europe,” said Florent Tournois, Coordinator of the POTENTIAL project.

Key Results

The project delivered a functioning cross-border testing infrastructure, developed reusable attestations, validated wallet use in sensitive sectors such as health and banking, and delivered essential lessons for governance, interoperability and the security framework. These contributions will shape the European Commission's work on the Architecture and Reference Framework (ARF), the Reference Implementation, and upcoming Implementing Acts under the eIDAS 2.0 Regulation.

Key Insights and Recommendations

The pilot generated a set of insights and recommendations for governments and policymakers. First, interoperability across borders is achievable but fragile, making EU-wide conformance testing and alignment with common standards essential. Second, governance is as critical as technology: Member States with strong national coordination and early private-sector engagement advanced fastest. Third, security depends not only on technical measures but also on robust governance, certification, and liability frameworks. Fourth, citizens' trust will require wallets that are simple, transparent, and privacy-preserving. Finally, inclusivity is key: smaller Member States and Ukraine benefitted from shared expertise but will need continued EU support to deploy at the same pace.

Looking Ahead

By December 2026, each Member State is expected to roll out a national EUDI Wallet. The lessons of POTENTIAL provide a roadmap for success: accelerate alignment with ARF and eIDAS, establish strong governance structures, require conformance testing, and prioritise citizen-centric design and communication. Thanks to the groundwork laid by POTENTIAL, Europe is now better positioned to deliver digital identity wallets that are secure, interoperable, and trusted across the Union.

Press released by the Ministry of Digitalisation and the Government IT Centre (CTIE)