Trust eServices

Topic description

Scope:

Specific challenge:

The implementation of trust eServices in specific applications areas like health, public administration, eCommerce includes the provision of electronic signatures, e-seals, timestamps or certified electronic delivery. The deployment and widespread adoption of these eServices is hampered by the lack of globally interoperable solutions, mutually recognized or compatible trust models and the absence of solid business cases for the reliance on electronic signatures, e-seals, timestamps or certified electronic delivery. In addition, the impossibility of transparently assessing the security assurance and trustworthiness of such eServices, in particularly when coming from third countries makes it difficult for citizens and businesses to confidently rely on them.

Scope:

The objective is to devise demonstrators for the automated comparison and interoperability of electronic trust services covering aspects such as security assurance levels, operational security audits, state supervision systems, data protection regimes or liability of trust service providers. Solutions should rely on state-of-the-art technology, interoperability linking existing electronic identification and authentication systems, taking into account different jurisdictions. Key elements of the initiative will be the differential assessment of technical and organisational standards for trust services, as well as the development of a framework for 'global trust lists'.

Validation platforms able to handle the specificities of various jurisdictional or national systems could be created to provide easy to understand assessments of the trustworthiness of any given trust service.

The Commission considers that proposals requesting a contribution from the EU of between €3m and €8m EURO would allow this topic to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of proposals requesting other amounts.

Proposals have to address the specific needs of the end-user, private and public security end user alike. Proposals are encouraged to include public security end-users and/or private end users.

Expected impact:

Demonstrate a positive business case and the economic value for the use of and reliance upon trust eServices. By paving the way for global interoperability of trust eServices, the initiative should contribute to empower and protect users in their digital experiences like e-contracting, e-bidding, e-invoicing, accessing social networks, or accessing the services of local or national administrations (e.g. issuing documents like driver's licence, visa, …). The initiative should create the conditions for more commercial applications and services to integrate the use of e-signatures, timestamps, e-seals and certified electronic delivery. Enhancing the trustworthiness of electronic transactions will ease the dematerialisation of processes, reduce administrative overhead for citizens and businesses and, last but not least, facilitate higher availability of eGov services.

The outcome of the proposal is expected to lead to developments up to Technology Readiness Level (TRL 7) or above; please see part G of the General Annexes. (Innovation Actions may include prototyping, testing, demonstrating, piloting, large-scale product validation and market replication (see Annex D).)“

Type of action: Innovation actions