9 Document development

9 Document development¶

9.1 Publication and Lifecycle¶

The Architecture and Reference Framework (ARF) is developed by the European Digital Identity Cooperation Group (EDICG), composed of experts from Member States and the Commission.

The ARF serves as the technical foundation for the Implementing Acts (CIRs). While the Implementing Acts provide the legal requirements and mandatory standards, the ARF offers the detailed technical specifications and architectural patterns necessary for a harmonised implementation across the Union.

This document is made publicly available at the official GitHub repository. Updates are released periodically to reflect the evolution of technology and regulatory requirements.

9.2 Contributing and Community Engagement¶

The EDICG welcome active participation from the community. Engagement is managed through two main channels on GitHub:

Issues: Used for specific technical corrections, bug reporting, and proposed text changes. Detailed etiquette and workflows are available in CONTRIBUTING.md.
Discussions: Used for broader architectural debates, conceptual questions, and the "Discussion Topics" that inform future iterations of the Framework.

The EDICG reviews these contributions to ensure that the ARF remains aligned with the needs of Member States and the European Digital Identity ecosystem.

9.3 Document Versioning¶

To ensure interoperability and transparency, the ARF follows a version control system based on the Semantic Versioning scheme. Each release is published under the MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH format:

MAJOR version is incremented (i.e., new version), when significant changes are introduced, particularly those involving breaking changes in the architecture or core protocols.
MINOR version is incremented when new features, requirements, or information are added or removed without breaking existing architectural principles.
PATCH version is incremented for minor adjustments, such as editorial corrections, formatting, or fixing typos.