News
Releases
Franco Frattini
No.
63/05
June 16, 2005
EU WELCOMES US DECISION ON IMPLEMENTATION OF THE (USA)
VISA WAIVER PROGRAM DEADLINES
EU
Commission Vice President
Franco Frattini, responsible
for
Justice, Freedom and Security,
has welcomed the US clarification regarding its
biometric requirements
for travel documents.
In Brussels today, Vice President Frattini said:
- I
warmly welcome the decisions taken by the US Administration
and the clarity which it provides on the legal and technical
requirements for the inclusion of specific biometric
features in passports issued by those countries that
currently benefit from the Visa waiver program.
- I
appreciate the great efforts undertaken by the US Administration
and Congress over the last months, underpinning once
more the excellent cooperation between the US and the
EU, in which context practical cooperation and concrete
measures agreed will enhance the everyday security of
citizens in the EU and the US.
- It
is important to recall that the EU and the US fully
share the important objectives of facilitating legitimate
traveling by tourists, business people and others from
Europe to the US and vice versa, whilst simultaneously
ensuring that travel documents issued are safe and secure
and which are necessary to effectively combat terrorism
and illegal immigration. This decision balances those
two objectives well.
- The
EU has put in place a program which will ensure that
passports issued by the Member States will include,
by August 2006, a facial image chip and by 2009 digital
fingerprints. To this end, we have already adopted one
set of technical specifications (February 2005) and
will adopt before the end of this year another set,
on digital fingerprints. Once those specifications have
been implemented by Members States, the EU will have
among the most secure and safe travel documents in the
world.
- Whilst
we are very grateful for the decision by the US Administration
taken today, which is very important for the citizens
of 15 Member States (the 15 “old Member States minus
Greece + Slovenia), we express the hope that all 25
Members States will soon be able to join the visa waiver
program. The US can rest assured that these 10 countries
will also comply, within the timeframe outlined by the
US, with the very strict standards set by the EU itself,
meeting therewith all security standards necessary for
ensuring safe and secure travel documents.
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