European Business Wallet eIDAS 2.0: the legal basis
The European Business Wallet eIDAS 2.0 relationship is the foundation the entire regulation rests on. The European Business Wallet (EBW) is not a stand-alone initiative; it builds legally and technically on the eIDAS 2.0 regulation adopted by the EU in 2024. Understanding why the EBW works the way it does, and what guarantees the wallet offers, starts with the underlying eIDAS 2.0 architecture.
What eIDAS 2.0 actually entails
eIDAS 2.0, formally Regulation (EU) 2024/1183, amends the original 2014 eIDAS Regulation and introduces the European Digital Identity Framework. At the core of that framework is the European Digital Identity (EUDI) Wallet: a digital wallet that lets EU citizens identify themselves and share verified documents such as driving licences, diplomas, or identity cards, without repeating a verification process every time. Every member state is required to offer at least one EUDI Wallet to its citizens by the end of 2026.
The European Business Wallet as the business counterpart
On 19 November 2025, the European Commission published the proposal for a separate regulation establishing the European Business Wallet, specifically aimed at businesses rather than individuals. According to the Commission, the technical architecture and functionality of the EBW build directly on that of the EUDI Wallet. The difference lies in the nature of the credentials: where the EUDI Wallet holds personal data, the EBW holds organisational data such as company registration numbers, VAT identifiers, permits, and mandates a legal entity grants to people acting on its behalf.
Selective disclosure: the privacy architecture
A core principle of both the EUDI Wallet and the European Business Wallet is selective disclosure. The wallet does not store data centrally with a government or platform; the holder decides what is shared, with whom, and for what purpose. Credentials are issued by trusted public authorities, such as national business registers or tax authorities, and cryptographically signed to guarantee their authenticity. A business can, for example, share only its VAT number with a trading partner without disclosing other company data.
The technical framework: Architecture Reference Framework
The technical specifications for both the EUDI Wallet and the European Business Wallet are laid down in the Architecture Reference Framework (ARF), developed by the European Commission together with the member states. The EBW regulation additionally requires that providers of a European Business Wallet be established in the EU, have their main operations there, and not pose a security risk to the Union. Providers must ensure confidentiality, integrity, authenticity, interoperability, and availability of the wallet, and operate according to the principle of security-by-design.
Supervision and cooperation
In each EU member state, the same supervisory bodies already responsible for the digital identity framework are also designated as supervisory authorities for the European Business Wallet. They monitor compliance, investigate complaints, and can impose penalties for systemic violations. The European Digital Identity Cooperation Group, established under the eIDAS 2.0 regulation, also facilitates implementation and functioning of the European Business Wallet across member states.
What this means for your business
Because the European Business Wallet eIDAS 2.0 foundation is shared with the EUDI Wallet, the wallet benefits from a framework that is already partly established: defined principles around selective disclosure, cryptographic verification, and a European supervisory system. For businesses, this means the European Business Wallet does not stand alone, but is part of a broader European digital identity infrastructure in which Peppol e-invoicing may also play a role as a routing network downstream of the identity layer. A detailed analysis of that relationship can be found in European Business Wallet e-invoicing: the architectural solution.
Compare Peppol Service Providers on Peppol.now and make sure your e-invoicing already aligns with the European standards the European Business Wallet also builds on.
