📋 Tender Overview
With a collective amendment the Federal Government wants to create the legal requirements so that further steps can be taken towards electronic proof of identity E-ID. The planned changes to the E-Government Act also have an impact on the passport system where the E-ID should also be used. In addition the amendment is intended to lay the legal basis for a digital drivers license and a digital registration certificate. With the amendment of the E-Government Act the legal framework for the further development of the citizen card concept towards E-ID electronic proof of identity has already been announced. However the applicability of these provisions requires the technical and organizational requirements for real operation of the E-ID to be present. These are not yet available.For the pilot operation of the E-ID and the further development of the associated technology smaller adaptations and additions to the legal framework are required in the run-up to real operation please refer to the explanations of the draft law. For example for the smartphone-based use of the E-ID an implementation that is equivalent in terms of security must also be expressly enabled in order to make it easier for the owner of the E-ID to use it especially with apps.Furthermore in order to expand the possibilities for using the E-ID attributes from registers of those responsible in the private sector should also be made available to third parties via the E-ID system voluntarily and only with the consent of the person concerned.For the time being however the focus is on the use of attributes from registers of those responsible in the public sector so that registers from those responsible in the private sector should only be technically connected in a next step. For administrative reasons the necessary legal basis is already provided in this amendment. In addition it should be stipulated that the E-ID issued in the course of the pilot operation may also be used beyond the period of the pilot operation and that the associated registration data may continue to be processed.In order to increase the quality of the data the law should also make adjustments with regard to changes to the entry data in the supplementary register for natural persons ERnP.The changes to the E-Government Act also enable the verification of personal data using the e-ID in the field of passports which is why a legal basis should be created for the transmission of this personal data to the master number register authority provided this serves a task assigned by law. In addition rules for data processing and for establishing identity for authorities are specified.The amendment is also intended to create the basis for the digital drivers license and the digital registration certificate. This requires changes to the Driving License Act FSG and the Motor Vehicle Act KFG. Here rules are laid down for the obligation to carry a drivers license or the registration certificate for self-inquiries by citizens and control inquiries by control bodies as well as for the provisional acceptance of the drivers license or the registration certificate.It is time for Austria to follow suit with the roll-out of the E-ID with regard to other European countries said Federal Minister Margarete Schrambck to the MPs. An important security for the use is that the E-ID should be issued by the Ministry of the Interior or via the passport offices said the minister. As far as the schedule is concerned it promised a gradual roll-out from April next year. In the further development of the mobile phone signature the goal is that previous users are transferred. This should make both registration processes and identity checks more secure. There has been positive feedback on the pilot project said Schrambck who underlined that there should be the possibility of using the E-ID but not an obligation.Maria Theresia Niss VP also emphasized that this law creates the prerequisites for further developing the mobile phone signature into an e-ID and enabling clear registration with the smartphone. An ID platform will also be created for example for the digital drivers license.Douglas Hoyos-Trauttmansdorff NEOS can basically gain a lot from the progress but there are questions about data security. Committee chairman Christian Hafenecker FP also objected that concerns about data protection must be taken into account. Compliance with fundamental rights and data security were also the priority issues for Petra Oberrauner and Katharina Kucharowits both SP on which they expressed concerns. Oberrauner said it was not possible to read from the application how data security was ensured. From Kucharowits point of view certain concerns in this regard have not been incorporated.
