Overview
- Bavaria's cabinet approved a fifth Modernization Act draft on Tuesday that would drop the need for certified copies and birth certificates for many state procedures and allow simple copies or a national ID instead.
- The federal cabinet on Wednesday adopted a draft Digitale Identitätengesetz to implement the EU EUDI‑Wallet and set a provisional soft‑launch target of 2 January 2027 for an initial ID and proof service.
- Officials say the EUDI‑Wallet will be voluntary, store a digital twin of the personalausweis on smartphones, transmit only required data for each use, and must still pass Bundestag and Bundesrat before rollout.
- Bavaria's draft uniquely proposes allowing artificial intelligence to make certain routine discretionary decisions—examples include simple building permits, event approvals and vehicle registrations—which raises questions about transparency and legal review.
- The Bavarian plan also creates a 'Sicherungsbescheid' to lock in approvals once files are complete, a measure likely to please investors but to draw criticism from animal‑protection and environmental groups; both state and federal texts now face hearings and parliamentary votes and practical hurdles such as user PIN activation and digital inclusion.