At a time when diplomas cross national borders and fake documents can be difficult to spot, ten European countries, including Belgium, are establishing a shared digital infrastructure to verify their authenticity. Based on blockchain, the system is intended to make it possible to confirm a document’s origin without recording its holder’s personal data on the shared ledger. Its first uses are being tested, while several practical applications remain to be developed.
For a Belgian employer who receives the diploma of a candidate educated abroad, one question arises: is the document authentic, and does it really come from the institution that supposedly issued it? International exchanges make this verification particularly important, but it may require contacting organisations in other countries. In a world where digital documents are multiplying, their appearance is not always enough to establish their origin.
A European initiative aims to make these checks easier. Ten countries, including Belgium, have launched the European Blockchain Services Infrastructure, or EBSI, a network designed to provide shared digital tools for public authorities, organisations and businesses. Management of the infrastructure has been entrusted to Europeum, a Brussels-based consortium led by Xavier Juredieu.
The ambition goes beyond diplomas. The same verification principle can be used to trace a product’s journey, such as a battery assembled from components supplied by several companies. In both cases, the goal is to be able to rely on verifiable information, without having to take a claim on trust or reconstruct the entire chain of transmission alone.
A shared ledger to verify the origin of documents
Proof of authenticity, not a copy of the diploma
When an organisation issues a document, it can associate it with digital proof recorded on the infrastructure. An authorised third party can then check that the document corresponds to the stated source and has not been altered. For a diploma, this could allow an employer to confirm the qualification’s authenticity without having to contact the foreign university that issued it every time.
The network does not replace the document itself. It is used to verify certain information about it, such as its origin or integrity. This distinction is central: according to Europeum, graduates’ personal data is not recorded on the blockchain. The ledger contains proofs, not a personal file accessible to all participants.
This approach is in line with broader research into how distributed ledgers could be used in education. Issues surrounding certification, the sharing of qualifications and document verification are explored in particular in this article on the impact of blockchain in the education sector.
Blockchain in the service of public trust
Blockchain is often associated with cryptocurrencies, speculation or uses that are difficult to regulate. EBSI, however, is based on a different approach: a shared infrastructure deployed for institutional services. The chosen technology makes it possible to share proofs between organisations, without each one having to build an isolated system that is incompatible with others.
The project therefore emphasises traceability, control and transparency. The shared ledger is intended to simplify verification while allowing the organisations concerned to retain a role in issuing documents. Trust no longer rests solely on the presentation of a paper document or file, but on the ability to verify that it is indeed linked to a recognised source.
The digitisation of exams and training pathways raises related questions: how can skills be assessed, results authenticated and systems adapted to new technologies? These issues are explored in this discussion of the transformation of exams in the age of artificial intelligence.
Beyond diplomas, tracing the journey of products
Training documents are just one possible first use. A company wishing to verify the origin of a car battery may have to gather information from several manufacturers and suppliers. With a shared infrastructure, each step in the supply chain could be accompanied by verifiable information, from the production of certain components through to final assembly.
In the longer term, the same approach could be applied to products offered to consumers. A QR code on a garment could, for example, link to information that would make it possible to check its authenticity or trace its origin. Private initiatives already offer similar systems, but EBSI aims to establish a shared European framework capable of enabling different organisations and systems to work together.
This type of application nevertheless depends on the quality of the information provided at each stage. A ledger can help detect a change or confirm that a certificate really comes from the stated issuer; on its own, it cannot guarantee that all the data entered at the outset is accurate. The reliability of the whole system therefore also depends on the organisations that produce the information and the rules adopted to verify it.
A network has been launched, but services are still in development
The network has been operational since April, but applications designed to meet practical needs are still being developed. Organisations can already test an initial document-verification service. Further features are expected by 2027. A diploma that can be checked in a few clicks is therefore a prospect, rather than a service currently available to all employers and graduates.
The distinction between the infrastructure and the services offered to the public is important. EBSI provides a shared technical foundation: applications must then be designed, verification procedures established, and public authorities, educational institutions and businesses persuaded to adopt them. Establishing a European network is not, by itself, enough to transform everyday practices.
The advance of artificial intelligence is also heightening attention to the authenticity of digital content and documents. New models, such as those presented in this article on DeepSeek’s development in competition with OpenAI, illustrate how quickly digital tools are evolving. In this context, verifying the origin of information or a supporting document is becoming an issue for institutions and businesses alike.
What role will Belgium play in the European project?
Belgium occupies a particular position in this initiative, since Europeum is headquartered in Brussels. The FPS BOSA, the federal public service that contributes in particular to the digital transformation of the administration, is also involved in the consortium’s work. However, no Belgian service aimed directly at the general public has yet been announced.
Various possibilities are being discussed, but national projects have yet to be specified. Europeum would particularly like to see a concrete use case in Belgium’s public sector emerge, demonstrating how a public authority can benefit from the infrastructure. An initial implementation could help other organisations understand the system’s practical benefits and the changes required to integrate it.
The question of trust in qualifications is also part of broader changes affecting organisations and professions. For example, debates about artificial intelligence, its creators and its effects on professional sectors are discussed in this profile of Arthur Mensch and his career in AI. As skills and careers change, diplomas remain one part of a person’s journey, but their circulation and verification are becoming digital challenges in their own right.
Cost and adoption: two conditions for deployment
For the network to be used on a large scale, public authorities and businesses will also have to assess its costs and benefits. Europeum says that each operation carried out on the infrastructure will cost very little, without specifying an exact amount. One benefit cited by the consortium is the ability to share expenses among several countries rather than having each one build and maintain its own system.
Pooling resources could help limit redundant infrastructure, but it requires coordination among participants. Organisations must agree on verification methods, responsibilities and the conditions for accessing services. Deployment will therefore depend as much on technical choices as on institutions’ ability to integrate these tools into their usual procedures.
The ten founding countries are Belgium, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia and Spain. The consortium hopes to expand participation and aims to welcome all European countries within two years. The development of practical use cases in education, public services or product traceability will influence how attractive these tools are to new participants.
Digital trust also exists within a cultural landscape shaped by platforms and technology companies, whose rise has also been depicted in cinema. For readers interested in this aspect, this article about a film with Lily James connected to the world of social media offers another perspective on the role digital technology has come to play in society.
