http://digbig.com/4mnpw
"Issuance of the new Greek passport containing a microchip is scheduled to start on Saturday. The microchip will include a picture of the passport holder and some personal details. The biometric data will also be able to contain the passport holder’s fingerprint or iris scan.
Saturday’s starting date for the new passports is two days before the European Union’s deadline for tighter controls concerning the document. Current passports will be valid as normal until the expiry date, according to the ministry. Since the start of the year, more than 80,000 new passports have been issued, while applications are expected for another 1.5 million by the end of 2006. It is the second change to the procedure regarding the issuance of passports since December when the government handed the task over exclusively to police authorities." [Brief]
