Brussels, 21/04/2006 (Agence Europe) - With an increase of 20% in the number of cards issued in 2005, the European smartcard industry is booming and forecasts for 2006 suggest a similar level of performance, according to figures released on Thursday by the Smartcard Association, representing 35 smartcard companies in the European Union. Over ten years, some 15 billion smartcards, 80% of them from European companies, have been issued around the world, with the highest number, 2.6 billion,...