According to a new report from Financial Times, European Union (EU) is working on the next generation identification services. EU is said to be developing a ‘bloc-wide digital wallet’ that could give citizens of 27 countries access to public and private services under a single ID.

The digital wallet would be used to store the private information of the user, including biometric scans, such as retina, facial recognition, or fingerprint scans, as well as their passports, driving license. Moreover, the EU would provide the opportunity to store payment methods like debit cards and bank accounts right into the app, possibly taking on Apple Pay.

“The digital wallet would securely store payment details and passwords and allow citizens from all 27 countries to log into local government websites or pay utility bills using a single recognised identity, said people with direct knowledge of the plans.”

Currently, each of the European Union countries has some sort of app to do this, but not all of them are usable across all the countries. The digital app from the EU could be used across all the countries. The digital service could come in handy in such a scenario:

“A person hiring a car, for example, could use their digital wallet to do SO remotely through an application that will verify their identity and issue an electronic key so they can take the car immediately without the need to wait in line at the airport.”

According to the reports, the use of the new wallet won’t be mandated at launch. However, it would give users the benefits of storing their personal data with “added layers of convenience and security.” The EU will also enforce a structural separation that would prevent third parties from accessing user data.

The project is currently being worked on, and the European Union hopes to have fully functional service in roughly a year.

Apple has been working in a similar manner to bring all of the services to Apple Pay. However, the company has not been able to convince governments to add passports to Apple Pay. Earlier this year, when the COVID-19 vaccination started, Apple grabbed an opportunity and partnered with the LA government to store vaccination proof to Apple Wallet.