http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/07/13/uk_eu_id_proposal/
John Lettice
"The UK is using its Presidency of the Council of the European Union to push for the adoption of biometric ID cards and associated standards across the whole of the EU. In a proposal issued on Monday (11th July), the UK calls for the drafting of 'common standards for national identity cards taking into account the achievements in relation to the EU passport and in the ICAO framework.'"
