A Federated Identity Management Architecture for Cross-Border Services in Europe

Abstract

Identification is the basis for trusted relationships in business as well as in administration. In Europe Member States have developed rules and methods how citizen and businesses are identified electronically. Cross-border applications still suffer from the fact that these methods differ from the legal, from the organisational but also from the technical point of view. Federated and interoperable identity management can contribute to a seamless way of offering electronic services. Taking into consideration that such cross-border services need to fit into the existing structure models and structures of interoperability are discussed with a special focus on the needs of government applications.