European Digital Credentials for Learning

The European Commission launched European Digital Credentials for Learning in October 2021 as part of the Europass initiative to enable paperless, verifiable digital credentials across the European Education Area. The system implements Self-Sovereign Identity principles through the W3C Verifiable Credentials standard and leverages the European Blockchain Services Infrastructure (EBSI) for credential verification. The technical implementation uses a stack combining:

• Front-end: Angular 7.x with eUI Framework
• Back-end:
  • Java 8 with Spring Framework
  • JAXB and JPA for data handling
  • CEF DSS library for digital signatures
  • Oracle 12c database
  • Apache Tomcat 8.0 application server

The platform allows education and training institutions to issue tamper-proof digital credentials that can be instantly authenticated and verified, reducing administrative burden while maintaining legal validity equivalent to paper documents. Notable features include:

• Multilingual support for all EU languages
• Electronic sealing equivalent to institutional stamps
• Integration with key EU frameworks like the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) and ESCO classification system
• Support for various credential types including diplomas, certificates, and transcripts

As of late 2021, the initiative had participation from 29 countries through the European Blockchain Partnership, with 38 blockchain nodes operating across 21 countries and 18 universities participating in pilot programs.