A webinar, under the auspices of the European Commission in collaboration with the European co-operation for Accreditation, is organised on the 29th of February 2024 – 10:00 – 12:30 (CET). This webinar aims to delve into the role of the European Blockchain Services Infrastructure (EBSI) in the context of the European certification ecosystem. The discussion will center on the prospective role of EBSI in facilitating the real-time dissemination of accreditation status pertaining to Conformity Assessment Bodies (CABs). Furthermore, it will address the verification of certification status associated with a myriad of products and services certified within the European Union by said CABs.

EBSI is a public infrastructure, supported by the European Commission and governed by Member States. It operates on cutting-edge technologies, prominently featuring verifiable credentials, digital wallets, and blockchain According to the experts in the field, verifiable credentials are becoming the de facto standard for ensuring easily accessible yet highly trustable/verifiable information on any type of credentials. In addition to that, blockchain immutable ledger ensures that once data is recorded, it cannot be altered without leaving a trace, enhancing the integrity, accountability, and authenticity of the information recorded. This technology becomes the most promising way to store public information, like public keys, certifications, or accreditations of certified or accredited legal entities.

Over the past triennium, the efficacy of eBSI services has been validated by an excess of 300 organizations spanning diverse sectors. These encompass public entities, including universities, European projects, and social security institutions. EBSI also counts on the support of more than 20 IT providers that have developed technology aligned with EBSI specifications.

During the symposium, The European Commission will provide a comprehensive presentation of EBSI, and they will highlight which could be the concrete benefits and improvements for the accreditation and assessment bodies in Europe.

The speakers:

Jose Manuel PANIZO PLAZA
Jose Manuel Panizo Plaza is working at the European Commission in DIGIT, the directorate-general for digital services Before joining the EC. He was working as a service manager in the reference qualified trust service provider for the Spanish public administration, and currently he is acting as EBSI chief technology officer.