http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/10/25/eu_adds_passport_fingerprints/
John Lettice
"EU interior ministers are today likely to sign off regulations making fingerprinting a second compulsory biometric for passports. The latest proposed draft regulation will effectively overturn a decision made earlier this year to make only facial image compulsory, and fingerprint optional, and comes in the face of opposition from Sweden Finland, Estonia and Latvia, 'could not accept this re-opening of discussions on the second biometric identifier to become mandatory.'
The UK has the ability to opt out, but has apparently been supporting a German proposal for a third, 'optional' identifier - iris scan. The EU proposal, which can be read at Statewatch, here, ostensibly addresses compliance with ICAO and US requirements for biometric passports and the security of the passport itself. For example, Article 4 (3) specifies that the biometric features shall only be used for verifying 'the authenticity of the document' and 'the identity of the holder by means of directly available comparable features when the passport or other travel documents are required to be produced by law.'"
