Understanding the European Self-Sovereign Identity Framework (ESSIF)

Carlos Pastor Matut
Convenor for ESSIF (EBSI)
https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlospastormatut
ssimeetup.org · CC BY-SA 4.0 International

1. Empower global SSI communities
2. Open to everyone interested in SSI
3. All content is shared with CC BY SA
SSIMeetup.org
Alex Preukschat @SSIMeetup @AlexPreukschat
Coordinating Node SSIMeetup.org
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
SSIMeetup objectives

‘We cannot build services for the
post-industrial age using the
identity infrastructure of the
industrial age. We need a new
digital identity infrastructure.’
- David Birch

Table of content:
● Introduction and context eSSIF en EBSI
● Why an European SSI Framework?
● ESSIF functional overview
● Roadmap and project approach

Introduction and context

The European Union's main aim is to promote
peace, its value and the well-being of its
people in an area of freedom, security and
justice without internal frontiers, in which the
free movement of persons is ensured in
conjunction with appropriate measures with
respect to external border controls, asylum,
immigration, and the prevention and combating
of crime. In its relations with the wider world, the
Union shall uphold and promote its values
and interests and contribute to the
protection of its citizens.
Article 3 of the Treaty of Lisbon (2007, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/treaty/teu_2012/oj)

European Blockchain Partnership (EBP)
Collaborate to let EU take the lead in blockchain

EBP background

What is EBSI?
The European Blockchain Services Infrastructure (EBSI) aims to become a “gold
standard” digital infrastructure to support the launch and operation of EU-wide
cross-border public services leveraged by blockchain technology.
EBSI aims to establish itself in ‘virtually’ every public sector domain that can
benefit from blockchain technology. EBSI will focus on specific use cases where
blockchain technology can enhance cross-border digital public services.
These use cases are identified and selected each year by the Member States
(European Blockchain Partnership) and the European Commission.

EBSI at a glance

EBSI use cases

EBSI structure

Why an European SSI framework
for public services?

“
user central to the administration of identity?

Current approach in
EU (only once)

Linking authentic
public/private sources?

“
a global identity approach ...

“
and another global identity approach ...

(European) Self sovereign
identity (Framework)?

Problems we want to solve
with ESSIF
● Data acquisition and maintenance
● Data processing
● Data silos
● Lack of data control
● Privacy issues
● Lack of universality
● Lack of interoperability
● Limitations of eIDAS
● Lack of certifications

● How to facilitate cross-border interaction with SSI.
● How to make/keep national SSI projects interoperable.
● How to integrate/align existing building blocks such as eIDAS,
e-delivery, once-only with SSI.
● Stimulate the SSI-transformation of public services
● How to conceptualize and build an identity layer in the new European
Blockchain Services Infrastructure.
● How to preserve European/democratic values in the implementation of
Self Sovereign identity.
● Stimulate SSI development and standardisation on global level.
Scope ESSIF

Out of scope of ESSIF
● The interpretations of the data (semantics) and the necessary
standardizations and business logic is however outside the scope of ESSIF.
● ESSIF will provide in its first instance support for other EBSI use cases (like
diploma and notarization)
● The issue of consent is partially implicit and for the other part out of scope.
● ESSIF will not build and maintain an SSI wallet for all European citizens and
interfere in this way with the emerging market of SSI solutions and personal
data storage.
● Academic research on SSI is out of scope of the EBSI use case ESSIF.
● Measures to cope with the dark side of SSI are out of scope but need to be
subject of further academic research.

How does these new identity models really work?

ESSIF functional overview

ESSIF Functional overview

ESSIF functional overview
Features:
Allow a user to
● identify/authenticate
● gather verifiable credentials
● present verifiable credentials
● withdraw presentations
● manage credentials and presentations
● recover control over lost identity
Allow organization to
● Issue Credentials
● Get Credentials presentations from users
Properties:
● Support multiple use cases / Digital Identities
● Support self-sovereignty (aka user-control)
● Support “privacy by design” (of information,
relationships and anonymity where required)
● Support multiple levels-of-assurance (as not all
use cases require the same)
● Able to connect with multiple Issuers/Trusted
Ledgers
● Able to connect with multiple Service
Providers/Verifiers/Relying Parties
● Be easy to integrate (especially for Relying
Parties)

Credential Use Cases
User:
● Verify / Authenticate Issuer
● Make a Credential Request (CR) to Issuer
● Verify & Register VC
Issuer:
● Authenticate (or Verify) User
● Issue Verifiable Credential (send VC to User)
● Revoke/suspend previously issued VC
● Publish/Register available VC types

Presentation Use Cases
User/Subject:
● Authenticate Service Provider (SP)
● Request a Service or Product (to a SP)
● Create Verifiable Presentation (VP) in response
to a Presentation Request from SP
● Send created VP to SP and Register it
● Withdraw previously sent VP
Service Provider:
● Authenticate User
● Send Presentation Request (PR), specifying
Credentials and Purpose, to User
● Verify received Verifiable Presentation in
response to PR
● Signature and Status
● Confirm Presentation Reception
● Confirm VP Withdrawal

Privacy by design: unlinkable actions

Roadmap and project approach

The roadmap and project landscape ESSIF
Phase 1:
Defining the ESSIF
components for the
EBSI based on
applicable use
cases and first
implementation.
(2019)
Additional R&D:
Research on
eSSIF framework.
Designing, building
and piloting.
Supporting MS
connection
(2020-2021)
Phase 2:
ESSIF large scale
implementation
(2021-2022)
ESSIF as a new ‘once only’ principle/approach

International SSI projects (sovrin, uport, etc)
European Blockchain Partnership
CEF Blockchain projects
Use case/building block eSSIF
Use case diploma
EBP infrastructure
H2020 DT-GOV-05
New forms of delivering public goods
and inclusive public services
ESSIF and once only
eSSIF implementation
Diploma implementation
ONCE ONLY
CEF building blocks
eIDAS, eDelivery, etc
National SSI projects (alastria, botm, etc)
2020 2021 20222019
H2020 ICT-24-2018-2019
eSSIF-Lab
Supporting Connection to EBSI
ESSIF project
landscape

Orientation
Input Tech specification
Usecasesandstakeholders
Business specs
Social specs
Legal specs
Technicalspecifications
reviewed
EBP workgroup ESSIF
external SSI stakeholders
EBP
Information
Projectplan
Report Vision
Purpose
Benefits
Scope
Interdependencies
TechConceptualarchitecture
Workshop
Report
EBP
Report
EBP
Work
shop
Transitionplanning
EBP
Dissemination
Report
CEF Support team
05-19 08-19 10-19
01-20
Business owner
Projectmanager
Workshop moderator
Architect
Tech experts
Business analist
Legal experts
Economic expertsCommunication expertSocial experts Dev team
Implement

European Service Infrastructure Blockchain

Freedom is control
in your own life.
- Willie Nelson -

Carlos Pastor Matut
Convenor for ESSIF (EBSI)
https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlospastormatut
Thank you for your attention(and thanks to Rene Margritte)

Understanding the European Self-Sovereign Identity Framework (ESSIF)

More Related Content

What's hot

Similar to Understanding the European Self-Sovereign Identity Framework (ESSIF)

More from SSIMeetup

Recently uploaded

Understanding the European Self-Sovereign Identity Framework (ESSIF)