EU wants secure ID cards
The EU member states recently gave the green light to the EU Commission's proposal to increase the security of ID cards and residence permits.
According to the European Commission, the security features of ID cards will be adapted to those of passports: In the future, both would contain a contactless chip on which a photograph and fingerprints of the holder are stored (cf. also Factsheet). In order to speed up border controls, residence permits for third-country nationals who are family members of EU citizens living in another Member State would be issued in a uniform format.
Close loopholes
EU Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality Věra Jourová said: "With the new security standards for ID cards, we are closing loopholes that can be exploited by criminals or terrorists. At the same time, citizens will have fewer problems using their ID cards when traveling."
Paper ID cards, which are still issued by some member states, pose a serious security risk, according to the Commission: They could easily be forged and used by terrorists and other criminals to enter the EU. The proposed rules would establish common minimum standards to ensure that these documents are secure and reliable. According to the release, member states will begin issuing the new documents two years after the regulation is published in the Official Journal. ID cards currently in circulation that do not comply with the new standards would have to be replaced within five to 10 years, depending on the threat level.
Source: EU Commission
