EU: Biometric visas - latest "state of play"
01 September 2007
EU doc no: 12665/07 (pdf)
The European Parliament's reservations are noted as:
"The Chair [Council Presidency] informed delegations of concerns raised during proceedings in the European Parliament:
- the absence of impact assessment of the proposed measures;
- the lack of coordination with the proposal on the Visa code;
- the inappropriateness of storing the fingerprints of children under 14 years (age of 14 is the one used in EURODAC) and of persons older than 79 years;
- outsourcing as a general possibility given to Member States when it should be a last resort solution only;
- the absence of the drawing up of detailed measures about personal data."
Background: EU: European Data Protection Supervisor Opinion on:
Common Consular Instructions (pdf) The EDPS underlines that it is a political decision rather than a purely technical one to determine from which age fingerprints shall be collected. See: Statewatch coverage: EU:
Fingerprinting of children - the debate goes on: Spain taking fingerprints and facial images from children at birth; Czech Republic taking fingerprints from 5 and facial images from birth; Latvia and France in favour of fingerprints from 6 and facial images from birth.
EU states will be free to fingerprint children from day one of their life as soon as it is technologically possible: Council Presidency proposed in June 2006 that there should be the compulsory fingerprinting of children from the age of 12 year old.