EU to miss US deadline for biometric passports

The European Union is set to miss a US deadline on biometric passports with 19 of 25 member states, including Malta, falling behind on post-September 11 security requirements.

In view of this, Justice, Security and Solidarity Commissioner Franco Frattini, in a letter to James Sensenbrenner, chairman of the United States House Judiciary Committee, asked the US Congress to extend the deadline from this October to August 28, 2006, when all the 25 EU countries should have their biometric passports in order.

In his letter, Mr Frattini said that despite all the progress by the EU member states in reinforcing the security of passports, critical aspects of the biometric technology, such as date security and interoperability of reading devices, are still being finalised.

Mr Frattini said that the late completion of technical reports by the International Civil Aviation Organisation had delayed efforts by the EU, and also the US, to introduce the passports.

"We would urge the Congress to consider a second extension of the deadline, as member states would need until August 28, 2006 for the implementation of the facial image in their passports," Mr Frattini wrote.

Commission sources told The Times that only six EU member states - Austria, Belgium, Finland, Germany, Luxembourg and Sweden - are on track in including digital photographs and fingerprints in passports.

Malta will not be meeting the deadline imposed by the US, although the sources said this would not really make a difference in the case of Maltese citizens as until now they still require a visa to enter the US.

If the US Congress fails to give the European Union extra time, millions of European travellers may have to apply for visas after October - a process that can take weeks.

Technical problems have dogged both the EU and the US. America is not expected to implement biometric passports until the end of 2006 and will start issuing its domestic biometric passports this summer.

Washington security chiefs are to hold talks with the US Congress amid concerns that visa demands could hit trans-Atlantic business.

Mr Frattini's spokesman yesterday admitted the EU has fallen back and said the Commission was insisting on the August 2006 deadline as it coincides with the internal date established by the EU for the introduction of biometric passports in all its member states.

He said Mr Frattini's letter was sent last week and no reply has yet been given by the US authorities.