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In the last years several EU Member States have rolled out smart-card based electronic ID (eID) solutions to their citizens. Not all of these solutions are directly compatible to each other. However, with respect to the i2010 e-Government initiative and the upcoming EU Services Directive, cross-border identification and authentication is now on the agenda of all EU Member States. In this paper we present a smart-card based eID identification and authentication solution, which supports smart-cards from different Member States. The proposed solution can be easily integrated into existing authentication and identity management solutions and does not necessarily require any additional client software to be installed by citizens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To foster the secure use of telematic services provided by public institutions, most European countries – and others in the rest of the world – are promoting electronic identification systems among their citizens to enable fully reliable identification. However, in today΄s globalized environment, it is becoming more common for citizens and entities of a given country, with their own electronic credentials under the legal framework of their country, to seek access to the public services provided by other countries with different legal frameworks and credentials. At present, a number of projects in the European Union are attempting to solve the problem through the use of pan-European identity management systems that ensure interoperability between the public institutions of different Member States. However, the solutions adopted to date are inadequate, for they do not envision all possible cases of user interaction with institutions. Specifically, they fail to address a very important aspect provided in different national legal systems, namely delegation of identity, by which a citizen can authorize another to act on his or her behalf in accessing certain services provided by public institutions. This paper provides a thorough analysis of problems of delegation and proposes an architecture based on X.509 Proxy Certificates and SAML assertions to enable delegation in provision of services in the complex and heterogeneous environment presented by the public institutions of the European Union as a whole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction of an exotic pathogen may pose a threat to a country΄s agricultural, economy and trade. Therefore, the main goal when new pathogen is detected is its ultimate eradication. Successful eradication of invasive pathogen involves a concerted complex of detection, risk assessment, adoption of the appropriate strategy, and careful execution of all the control procedures. Successful eradication relies on preparedness, i.e. rapid response and the use of the appropriate strategy. Adoption of the strategies to eliminate an invasive pathogen depends on realistic assessment of the effectiveness of the various approaches, and the feasibility for their success. A quantitative assessment of all the factors that influence the eradication process can lead to the adoption of an appropriate eradication approach and strategy. However, other considerations may influence the selection of the most appropriate strategies and measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]