EBSI, a public services network based on blockchain technology that facilitates the provision of cross-border public services between all the countries that make up the European Union.
Technology blockchain Blockchain is growing and expanding by leaps and bounds. Every day more and more countries are joining in to develop technological initiatives based on this innovation, which promises to transform our way of seeing and doing things. Digital transformation and digital governance are some of the applications of the greatest impact that blockchain has. Due to its potential, many nations are already devoting a large part of their resources and efforts to the development and adoption of this technology, such as the Asian giant. China, which develops a blockchain network with aspirations to lead the field of international trade.
For its part, the European commitment is also an ambitious project, but it focuses on the development of a digital infrastructure that allows public services to be provided throughout the continent in an easy, accessible and secure way. As indicated by the European Commission in its document of presentation, the European Blockchain Services Infrastructure (European Blockchain Services Infrastructure) also known as EBSI for its acronym in English, is an initiative developed jointly by the European Commission and the European Blockchain Association (EBP) which will provide cross-border public services throughout the European Union using blockchain technology.
A blockchain network for public services in Europe
This is a project that has been under development since 2017 and, to date, has already had 4 use cases approved by the EC. In addition, to materialize the project, the network already has 26 nodes distributed across the continent, and by the end of this year it is expected that 11 additional nodes will be added, which will be distributed among the countries that do not yet have one.
In this way, the European Commission is ensuring that government and public administration entities in each EU member country have an EBSI node to provide cross-border public services. This year, the European Commission will select 4 additional use cases to expand the service options it will provide to European citizens.
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The European commitment to technological development
An initiative like this allows Europe to explore new markets and position itself as a leader in the development of this technology. For some time now, EU leaders have been making public their intentions to turn the continent into a world reference in terms of the development of this technology and everything that it entails, including regulation of the markets. cryptocurrencies, and digital assets.
As indicated by the Executive Vice-President of the European Union, Valdis Dombrovskis, En of speechEurope has all the potential to become a pioneer in the implementation of regulations and new standards on cryptocurrencies and blockchain in the region and in the world. Of course, it has to face several giants that share the same goals and aspirations, such as China, Japan and the United States.
That is why, starting in 2017, the European Union decided to begin developing an innovative proposal to transform digital services, a proposal applicable both in the public and private sectors. With the EBSI, the EU seeks to create a public services infrastructure that takes advantage of the growing wave of digital applications, but this time focused on meeting the specific needs that exist within European communities.
Use cases for EBSI
Among the use cases developed since 2019 for the EBSI are: Notarization, Degree, Sovereign Identity e Data Exchange.
The first of them, Notarization, is focused on simplifying digital audit processes, automating compliance checks in urgent processes, and demonstrating the integrity and reliability of data through the immutability and transparency characteristics of blockchain technology. Degree, the EBSI aims to give European citizens control over their documents when managing educational credentials. This application significantly reduces verification costs and improves confidence in the authenticity of documents and credentials.
La Sovereign Identity, one of the most important use cases, allows citizens to self-manage and manage their own personal and private data. As the EC document says, the European Self-Sovereign Identity allows users to create and control their own identity, across borders and without depending on centralized authorities to do so. Finally, the Data Exchange It allows citizens to share private data such as IOSS VAT and Single Window Import ID numbers, safely and reliably between customs and tax authorities in the European Union. This implementation is again possible thanks to the potential of blockchain technology, which has the capacity to handle data and information efficiently, privately and securely.
Potentials and advantages of EBSI
The EBSI will operate as a network P2P of nodes interconnected to each other, which will be operated by the European Commission and by the governments of the member countries and states. Thanks to this network of nodes, the EBSI will function as a synchronized and scalable infrastructure that shares and stores updated information on the chain; so it can be said that it is similar to the network of nodes of Bitcoin, with the difference that the EBSI is centralized and has much less computing power.
Likewise, the EBSI will have a node architecture composed of three main layers: the first, a layer where the main network services are provided, which can be expanded as the EU deems necessary. This layer considers basic services, connectivity to other blockchain networks and connectivity to off-chain storage. The second, a layer designed for the provision of use cases; for example, the functionalities, technical implementation and use of the exposed services for each selected use case are shown. And, finally, a third layer designed for the implementation of commercial applications, which although they are not part of the main infrastructure of the EBSI, will allow public or private organizations to develop their own applications that connect to the EBSI nodes with exposed core services.
Overall, if the EBSI network is consolidated, it will be an infrastructure that will allow the provision of public services throughout Europe to be optimised, while simplifying the procedures and document management for citizens. Furthermore, due to the way the EBSI works, this network will reduce the environmental impact by minimising the need for paper and transport for document management.
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