Brussels, 10/02/2009 (Agence Europe) - A highly-placed European Union official has said that Taiwan's introduction of biometric passports and broadened visa exemptions for some EU member countries provided a good foundation for the EU to begin a discussion on visa reciprocity with Taiwanese authorities. “These two steps will certainly help put in place an appropriate background to launch a discussion on this issue in Europe,” said Guy Ledoux, head of the Taipei-based European Economic and Trade Office (EETO), according to the Central News Agency. On the same day, the British government announced that, from 3 March, holders of Republic of China (Taiwan) passports will be able to remain in the United Kingdom without a visa for up to six months. Ledoux, who serves as de facto EU ambassador in the absence of formal diplomatic relations, said that the EU welcomed Taiwan's removal of visa requirements for citizens of some EU member states and its issuing of electronic passports, which are difficult to forge. The Taiwanese Foreign Ministry began issuing e-passports, containing a microchip which store the bearer's biographical data and facial image, on 30 December 2008. On 1 October 2008, the Foreign Ministry extended its visa waivers to citizens of Poland and Slovakia for maximum stays of 30 days, and holders of Hungarian passports were also given visa-free entry from 1 November 2008. Currently, 23 of the EU's 27 member states are included in Taiwan's visa waiver scheme. Slovenia is due to join this group on 15 February. The EU has recently faced an influx of illegal immigrants from various parts of the world, so that granting visa-free entry is a very sensitive issue, Ledoux pointed out, stating that no meeting had yet been scheduled to discuss reciprocal visa arrangements with the EU. He made it clear, however, that illegal immigrants were “not an issue” with Taiwan. (B.C./transl.rt)