G5 meeting in Evian, 4-5 July 2005
01 July 2005
- France, Germany, Italy, Spain and UK
Points of note in the Conclusions below:
1. The intention to back the extension of the gathering of biometrics from EU passports (agreed December 2004) to:
"the use of biometrics to all identity documents including driving licences"
2. Cooperation (2.2.3) on notification of "illegal content" on the Internet and creating the legal means to "allow illegal websites to be closed down without delay".
3. Ministers agreed to develop "joint grouped flights for the repatriation of irregular immigrants" (3.5)
4. "Strengthened controls at the internal borders" (3.7) building on bilateral actions on rail networks between France and Italy, France and Spain, and Germany, Austria and Italy.
Operational conclusions
"The Ministers of the Interior of the G5 countries meeting in Evian on 4-5 July 2005 resolved to adopt the following policy directions:
I - Electronic national identity cards
In the absence of Community competence, the G5 has set itself the target of ensuring that the new electronic identity cards to be issued in the future by the five partner counties are technically compatible and interoperable, in order to enable their citizens to take advantage, wherever they may be, of the facilities now made possible by e-administration. With the objective of enhancing security for travel documents, the use of biometrics, compatible with the european standard for passports, is aimed at id cards.
A comparative technical study on the existing projects is to be conducted between now and the end of the year. This standard will cover common modes of identification, authentication and signature. The G5 countries wish to open up a dialogue with the other States in the Union, in line with the Hague programme which stated: "the European Council requests the Council and Commission to prepare the development of minimum standards for national identity cards"
Generally speaking, G5 will work to extend the use of biometrics to all identity documents including driving licenses.
II - The fight against terrorism and organised crime
2.1. Information exchange: the principle of availability
The principle of availability was laid down by the Hague Programme adopted at the end of 2004 and is in the process of being defined within the European Union. It assumes that a police officer in Member State would have access to information of an other Member State relevant to his investigations The Member States of the G5 have therefore set themselves the goal of making relevant law enforcement data available to each other in order to enhance the effectiveness of national law enforcement agencies. Methods of implementing this "principle of availability" continue to be investigated by G5 experts, who will work closely with the EU Presidency.
Concerning fingerprinting and DNA, the ministers resolved to establish an exchange mechanism on genetic traces and fingerprints. The ministers are to give instructions to the G5 experts to define the technical and legal parameters for such a project.
Concerning missing persons and unidentified bodies, in the context of natural disasters, the ministers agreed to facilitate exchanges of information on missing persons.. A G5 working group is to put forward proposals to the ministers before their next meeting.
Concerning identity theft, an alert network will be formed between the G5 countries: each country will designate a national contact point with responsibility for new forms of document forgery. The G5 countries will look to take joint action against the
practices of certain countries which falsify travel documents.
Concerning stolen vehicles, the G5 Member States, the main producers of motor vehicles in Europe, will conduct a consultation of carmakers and insurance companies in order to put in place a system for the identification and location of stolen vehicles. They will pay close attention to the work undertake