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EU: Commission proposal on joint visa processing centres in third countries
01 June 2006
Proposal(COM (2006) 269, 31.5.06, pdf)
The EU is to fingerprint every visa applicant in their country of origin. In order to avoid all member states having to install the costly equipment for collecting biometric identifiers in every consular office, the EU is to establish "Common Application Centres" ("CACs") where facial images and all ten fingerprints will be taken. The CACs are seen as a step toward the establishment of common EU Visa Offices in the future. The member states are also looking at other ways "to reduce the costs of the use of biometrics" and considering "outsourcing in locations where consular posts are faced with particularly high numbers of applications".