Vol. 566 No. 4
188 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his plans to introduce passports that have built-in microchips that store information such as iris scans and other such information; the discussions that have taken place on a European wide system; the timetable for any such changes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13204/03]
There have been discussions on this subject in the framework of the International Civil Aviation Organisation or ICAO and it is expected that technical specifications for the incorporation of biometrics into passports will be agreed by ICAO shortly. These specifications will set a common, globally accepted standard for countries that choose to introduce biometrics into their passports. However, they will not be mandatory and the decision on whether or not to include biometrics will remain a sovereign one for national governments.
A number of European countries have been researching different possibilities for incorporating biometrics in travel documents. On the initiative of the Netherlands, a meeting took place in The Hague in June 2002 to exchange views on this question. This meeting was attended by representatives of European countries and the European Commission, as well as observers from the United States, Canada and the International Civil Aviation Organisation. It was agreed at this meeting to establish a European Forum for Travel Documents. The next meeting of the forum will take place in Berlin on 30 June and 1 July 2003.
