Latvia

Latvia Joins Consortium to Develop Payments Pilot for EU Digital ID Wallet

by Fintechnews Baltic September 20, 2022

The Nordic-Baltic eID Project (NOBID) is leading a consortium of six countries—Denmark, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Latvia and Norway—to deliver a cross-border payments pilot aligned with the aims of the European Commission’s EU digital identity wallet program.

The consortium’s proposal to be one of four EU digital identity wallet pilots focuses on payments, one of the top priority use cases in the EU’s digital ID wallet vision.

The EU digital identity wallet is a biometrically-secured app that, when it comes into being, will allow citizens across the continent to easily verify their ID, access services and store sensitive digital documents.

Using the European Digital Identity to apply for a bank loan. Source: European Commission

NOBID’s proposal leverages existing payment infrastructure to enable payment issuance, instant payments, account-to-account transfers and payment acceptance both in-store and online.

Merchants that will be testing out the payment solution include Elkjøp in Norway and REWE-group in Germany.

The project will be designed to complement wider EU plans to streamline cross-border payments such as the European Payments Initiative (EPI) and the Digital Euro.

NOBID Consortium participating countries

NOBID’s proposal is supported by financial services players including DSGV in Germany, DNB and BankID in Norway, Nets in Denmark, Intesa Sanpaolo, PagoPA and ABILab in Italy and Greiðsluveitan in Iceland.

The consortium’s technology partners include Thales, iProov, Signicat, RB, Auðkenni, IPZS, Poste Italiane, Intesi Group, InfoCert, FBK and Latvian State Radio and Television Centre.

The Nordic-Baltic eID project was initiated under the umbrella of the Nordic Council of Ministers. The project works to harmonise the eID solutions in eight Nordic and Baltic countries and collectively adopt the eIDAS regulation.

Artūrs Toms Plešs

“Although a natural step forward, the digital ID wallet, no doubt, will expand the pool of possibilities to further improve our digital space and allow new products to be developed within the whole of the European Union,”

said Artūrs Toms Plešs, Latvia’s Minister of Environmental Protection and Regional Development.

Ģirts Ozol

“The concept of the European digital identity and the development of the digital identity wallet will unlock new personalised services that will be developed to be cross-border by default and solve some of the challenges faced in implementing eIDAS requirements,”

said Mr. Ģirts Ozol, Chairman of the Management Board at SJSC Latvia State Radio and Television Centre.