The Government has adopted an emergency ordinance, initiated by the Ministry of Economy, which creates the legal framework for implementing the European Digital Identity Wallet in Romania. The measure sets out the rules for launching a secure mobile application that will function as an electronic extension of citizens' physical wallets.
Through the application, citizens will be able to store and present official documents directly from their phone, including their identity card, driving licence, and health card. The aim is for people to be able to prove their identity or certain qualities without permanently carrying physical documents, with presentation done directly from the application.
The ordinance is part of the Digital Identity project, a broader initiative that aims to digitalise the relationship between citizens and public administration. By creating a unified legal framework, the authorities aim for the solution to operate under the same conditions in Romania and in the other member states of the European Union, based on the same European model. The European wallet is thus designed as a common tool, valid for all citizens of the bloc, not just as a national application.
Data security is a central element of the project. The application must include protection mechanisms that allow the user to control what information is presented and in which situations, so that the exposure of personal data is limited. The same logic of user control underpins the European model, in which the citizen decides which data to disclose to a particular requester.
The adoption of the ordinance paves the way for the technical development of the application and its integration with the registers and databases of the institutions that issue the respective documents. Implementation requires detailed rules on operation and technical standards, which will be established later. The concrete launch timeline was not specified in the available materials, and implementation will depend on the technical and administrative stages that follow.
Beyond convenience, the stake of the project lies in how citizens will interact with public services. A document available on a phone can reduce trips to counters and the time needed for verifications, but success depends on public trust in the application's security and the technical facilities offered. The authorities will need to show that the solution is secure and accessible to all categories of users, including those who do not frequently use technology.