In a package of initiatives on security (see other article), the European Commission proposed, on Tuesday 17 April, improving the security elements of EU citizens' identity cards, as well as the security elements of the residence permits of members of their family from third countries.
"It is estimated that 80 million Europeans currently have non-machine-readable ID cards without biometric identifiers", the Commission states in a press release. The new rules should thus stem the use of fraudulent documents which terrorist and criminals can use to enter the EU from a third country.
The new rules aim to: - set common security standards for the whole EU which are in line with the minimum security standards set out by ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organisation); - make biometric data obligatory for the countries that issue identity cards. The identity cards of EU citizens (over 12-years old) and residence permits for family members who are nationals of third countries will now include biometric data, in other words digital fingerprints and facial images, which will be stored on a chip integrated into these documents.
The new rules also provide for a relatively swift, but progressive, withdrawal of cards that are not in compliance – either at the date of their expiry or, at the latest, within a period of five years (or of only two years for less secure cards -in other words, cards that are not readable by a machine). The proposed regulation does not, however, establish obligatory identity cards for the whole EU and leaves each of the member states full latitude to regulate other aspects of the design of national identity cards. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)