The status of National PKIs – A European overview

A series of European Union initiatives and frameworks have been issued during the last years, for the provision of electronic services to individuals, businesses and government organizations. Most of these efforts imply the use of digital certificates for a wide variety of national and transnational transactions. This paper presents the concept of National PKI through a systemic view, compares and contrasts the main inhibitors and enablers, discusses popular use cases, and also examines the European landscape together with open issues.