In its conclusions of 4 February 2011 and of 23 October 2011, the European Council invited the Commission to create a digital single market by 2015, to make rapid progress in key areas of the digital economy and to promote a fully integrated digital single market by facilitating the cross-border use of online services, with particular attention to facilitating secure electronic identification and authentication.

In its conclusions of 4 February 2011 and of 23 October 2011, the European Council invited the Commission to create a digital single market by 2015, to make rapid progress in key areas of the digital economy and to promote a fully integrated digital single market by facilitating the cross-border use of online services, with particular attention to facilitating secure electronic identification and authentication.

Where only single-factor authentication is used, it includes a two-step verification mechanism for accessing the administration part of the system via the Internet, in which the single factor is augmented by another means of authentication, such as a one-time pass-phrase/code via SMS or an asymmetrically encrypted random challenge string to be decrypted using the organisers’/administrators’ private key unknown to the system.

7 | Legislation ensuring the mutual recognition of electronic identification and authentication across the EU and revision of the Directive on Electronic Signatures | Digital single market | 1st quarter 2012 |

Members of the judicial authorities should be given secure access to the various functionalities reserved for them; they should have differentiated access rights and a uniform or interoperable authentication method should apply.

ACTIONS The Commission will: Key Action 16: Propose by 2012 a Council and Parliament Decision to ensure mutual recognition of e-identification and e-authentication across the EU based on online 'authentication services' to be offered in all Member States (which may use the most appropriate official citizen documents – issued by the public or the private sector); Other actions: Support seamless cross-border eGovernment services in the single market through the Competitiveness and Innovation Programme (CIP) and Interoperability Solutions for European Public Administrations (ISA) Programme; Review by 2011 the Public access to Environmenta ...[+++]l Information Directive; [62] Work with Member States and stakeholders to implement cross-border eEnvironment services, notably advanced sensor networks; Define by 2011 concrete steps in a White Paper on how to inter-connect e-procurement capacity across the single market; Lead by example on open and transparent eGovernment by creating in 2010 and implementing an ambitious eCommission 2011-2015 action plan, including full electronic procurement.