Member States' ambassadors to the EU approved on Wednesday 14 November new rules to strengthen the security of identity cards and residence permits in the EU in order to reduce fraud.
The EU Council's mandate on this proposal for a Regulation presented in April 2017 (see EUROPE 12003) allows negotiations to start with the European Parliament, but the latter has not yet adopted its mandate. In September, it debated the amendments and insisted on the protection of personal data (see EUROPE 12105).
The proposed new rules introduce both minimum standards for the information contained in documents and security features common to all Member States.
Identity cards must be produced in a uniform credit card format (ID-1), include a machine-readable area and comply with the minimum security standards established by ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization). They will also have to include a photo and two fingerprints of the cardholder, stored in digital format, on a contactless chip, the Council explains in a statement.
The identity cards will be valid for a maximum period of 10 years. Member States may issue identity cards with a longer validity for persons aged 70 and over. If issued, identity cards for children under 12 years of age will be valid for a maximum of 5 years.
Progressive disappearance of old cards
The new rules will enter into force two years after their adoption. By that date, all new published documents will therefore have to meet the new criteria. Existing identity cards that do not meet the requirements will cease to be valid 10 years after the date of application of the new rules or on their expiry date. The least secure cards that do not meet minimum security standards or do not have a machine-readable zone will expire in five years.
The residence documents of EU nationals and their families must clearly indicate that the document is published in accordance with Directive 2004/38/EC, the full names and date of birth of the holders or the issuing authority. The residence documents of third-country nationals must contain biometric elements. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)