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MEPs agree new biometric rules for passports
NEWS ePassports Editorial Office: Elsevier Ltd The Boulevard Langford Lane Kidlington Oxford OX5 1GB, UK Tel: +44 (0) 2920 560458 Fax: +44 (0) 1865 843933 Email: [email protected] Website: www.biometrics-today.com Editor: Mark Lockie Programme Editor: Steve Barrett Production Editor: Lin Lucas Subscription Information An annual subscription to Biometric Technology Today includes 10 printed issues and online access for up to 5 users. Prices: 991 for all European countries & Iran US$1072 for all countries except Europe and Japan ¥131 700 for Japan (Prices valid until 31 December 2009) To subscribe send payment to the address above. Tel: +44 (0)1865 843687/Fax: +44 (0)1865 834971 Email: [email protected], or via www.biometrics-today.com. Subscriptions run for 12 months, from the date payment is received. Periodicals postage is paid at Rahway, NJ 07065, USA. Postmaster send all USA address corrections to: Biometric Technology Today, 365 Blair Road, Avenel, NJ 07001, USA This newsletter and the individual contributions contained in it are protected under copyright by Elsevier Ltd, and the following terms and conditions apply to their use: Permissions may be sought directly from Elsevier Global Rights Department, PO Box 800, Oxford OX5 1DX, UK; phone: +44 1865 843830, fax: +44 1865 853333, email: [email protected]. You may also contact Global Rights directly through Elsevier’s home page (www.elsevier.com), selecting first ‘Support & contact’, then ‘Copyright & permission’. In the USA, users may clear permissions and make payments through the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, USA; phone: +1 978 750 8400, fax: +1 978 750 4744, and in the UK through the Copyright Licensing Agency Rapid Clearance Service (CLARCS), 90 Tottenham Court Road, London W1P 0LP, UK; phone: +44 (0)20 7631 5555; fax: +44 (0)20 7631 5500. Other countries may have a local reprographic rights agency for payments. Derivative Works Subscribers may reproduce tables of contents or prepare lists of articles including abstracts for internal circulation within their institutions. Permission of the Publisher is required for resale or distribution outside the institution. Permission of the Publisher is required for all other derivative works, including compilations and translations. Electronic Storage or Usage Permission of the Publisher is required to store or use electronically any material contained in this journal, including any article or part of an article. Except as outlined above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of the Publisher. Address permissions requests to: Elsevier Science Global Rights Department, at the mail, fax and email addresses noted above. Notice No responsibility is assumed by the Publisher for any injury and/or damage to persons or property as a matter of products liability, negligence or otherwise, or from any use or operation of any methods, products, instructions or ideas contained in the material herein. Because of rapid advances in the medical sciences, in particular, independent verification of diagnoses and drug dosages should be made. Although all advertising material is expected to conform to ethical (medical) standards, inclusion in this publication does not constitute a guarantee or endorsement of the quality or value of such product or of the claims made of it by its manufacturer.
02265 Printed by Mayfield Press (Oxford) Ltd.
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Biometric Technology Today
MEPs agree new biometric rules for passports
M
EPs in the European Parliament have agreed that children under twelve should no longer have their fingerprints included on passports issued in the European Union, but they should have their own passports, so as to combat trafficking in children. Countries which already collect children’s fingerprints will be allowed to continue to do so for the next four years, as long as the children are six years old. Biometric passports including fingerprints will be introduced in the whole EU (plus Iceland, Norway and Switzerland) on 29 June, although some countries have already begun issuing fingerprint-based ePassports – notably Germany which started collecting fingerprint in March 2007. The EP was voting on plans to amend a 2004 regulation laying down biometric features to be included in passports and other travel documents, including the holder’s fingerprints. The Civil Liberties adopted unanimously the compromise reached by rapporteur Carlos COELHO (EPP, PT) with Council last year. In the aftermath of the events of 11 September 2001, the Commission was asked by Member States to take immediate action to improve document security. The EU decided, therefore, to integrate biometrics in European passports. These identifiers comprise a facial image and fingerprints, making it possible to combat fraud and falsification more effectively. The regulation, already adopted, which will come into force in June, establishes technical specifications such as: • additional security features notably with a view to combating counterfeiting and falsification; • the storage medium and its security; • common quality requirements for the facial image and the fingerprints. However, during pilot projects carried out in some Member States it was found that children’s fingerprints are not of sufficient quality, especially those of the youngest children, which can change greatly as they grow older. In its draft text, the European Commission therefore suggested to introduce an exemption for
children under twelve. A similar exemption was agreed for people deemed physically unable to give fingerprints. The rapporteur and Council presidency agreed that fingerprints should not be taken from children under the age of 12. However, countries already taking fingerprints from children under that age, but not below six, can continue to do so for four years. In cases where it is impossible to take fingerprints, Member states may deliver a temporary passport having a validity of twelve months or less. To combat trafficking in children, the draft legislation also proposed introducing the principle of ‘one person, one passport’: until now a passport issued to a parent has often also covered the children by adding their names – but the microchip contains only the parent’s biometric data. The Regulation does not provide a legal base for setting up or maintaining databases for storage of these data in Member States. The UK is excluded from participation in this Regulation as it is a development of the Schengen acquis in which the UK does not take part. However, the UK Government said it supports the inclusion of fingerprints in passports and travel documents as a means of providing better identification. The UK has stated its intention to keep in step with the Regulation to ensure that UK passports are not seen as ‘second class’ compared with those issued by other Member States.
technology
Maturity of biometric modalities assessed
T
he FBI Biometric Center of Excellence (BCOE) has announced the results of an independent assessment of biometric technology by The MITRE Corporation. This technology assessment is a major component of a comprehensive study entitled the State-of-the-Art Biometrics Excellence Roadmap (SABER). SABER is designed to gauges the technical maturity of biometric modalities and evaluates the potential for expanding the FBI’s Certified Products List as these modalities mature. The technology assessments are comprised of complete reviews of the state-of-the-art in biometric modalities and are presented in three volumes. From fingerprints to vascular
January 2009
02265 Printed by Mayfield Press (Oxford) Ltd.
2
Biometric Technology Today
MEPs agree new biometric rules for passports
M
EPs in the European Parliament have agreed that children under twelve should no longer have their fingerprints included on passports issued in the European Union, but they should have their own passports, so as to combat trafficking in children. Countries which already collect children’s fingerprints will be allowed to continue to do so for the next four years, as long as the children are six years old. Biometric passports including fingerprints will be introduced in the whole EU (plus Iceland, Norway and Switzerland) on 29 June, although some countries have already begun issuing fingerprint-based ePassports – notably Germany which started collecting fingerprint in March 2007. The EP was voting on plans to amend a 2004 regulation laying down biometric features to be included in passports and other travel documents, including the holder’s fingerprints. The Civil Liberties adopted unanimously the compromise reached by rapporteur Carlos COELHO (EPP, PT) with Council last year. In the aftermath of the events of 11 September 2001, the Commission was asked by Member States to take immediate action to improve document security. The EU decided, therefore, to integrate biometrics in European passports. These identifiers comprise a facial image and fingerprints, making it possible to combat fraud and falsification more effectively. The regulation, already adopted, which will come into force in June, establishes technical specifications such as: • additional security features notably with a view to combating counterfeiting and falsification; • the storage medium and its security; • common quality requirements for the facial image and the fingerprints. However, during pilot projects carried out in some Member States it was found that children’s fingerprints are not of sufficient quality, especially those of the youngest children, which can change greatly as they grow older. In its draft text, the European Commission therefore suggested to introduce an exemption for
children under twelve. A similar exemption was agreed for people deemed physically unable to give fingerprints. The rapporteur and Council presidency agreed that fingerprints should not be taken from children under the age of 12. However, countries already taking fingerprints from children under that age, but not below six, can continue to do so for four years. In cases where it is impossible to take fingerprints, Member states may deliver a temporary passport having a validity of twelve months or less. To combat trafficking in children, the draft legislation also proposed introducing the principle of ‘one person, one passport’: until now a passport issued to a parent has often also covered the children by adding their names – but the microchip contains only the parent’s biometric data. The Regulation does not provide a legal base for setting up or maintaining databases for storage of these data in Member States. The UK is excluded from participation in this Regulation as it is a development of the Schengen acquis in which the UK does not take part. However, the UK Government said it supports the inclusion of fingerprints in passports and travel documents as a means of providing better identification. The UK has stated its intention to keep in step with the Regulation to ensure that UK passports are not seen as ‘second class’ compared with those issued by other Member States.
technology
Maturity of biometric modalities assessed
T
he FBI Biometric Center of Excellence (BCOE) has announced the results of an independent assessment of biometric technology by The MITRE Corporation. This technology assessment is a major component of a comprehensive study entitled the State-of-the-Art Biometrics Excellence Roadmap (SABER). SABER is designed to gauges the technical maturity of biometric modalities and evaluates the potential for expanding the FBI’s Certified Products List as these modalities mature. The technology assessments are comprised of complete reviews of the state-of-the-art in biometric modalities and are presented in three volumes. From fingerprints to vascular
January 2009