Most EU states late on biometric passports

Most EU states failed to meet an August 28 deadline to issue high security biometric passports, EU officials said yesterday, adding they could be brought to court if they do not catch up.

Only seven countries - Austria, the Netherlands, Denmark, Belgium, France, Germany and Sweden - have told the European Commission they are ready to issue passports containing an electronic chip with a digital photograph, the officials said.

A further five countries have said they would be ready this week, the officials said. A few others may be ready or close to readiness without having informed the EU executive about it. Those EU states still not issuing biometric passports by September 20 could face legal action, said one official, who requested anonymity.

Security surrounding international travel has been under the spotlight since the British police said on August 10 they had foiled a plot to bring down airliners over the Atlantic using liquid explosives.

The 15 EU states whose citizens do not require visas to enter the US are under further pressure on biometric passports. The US will require those citizens travelling with passports issued after October 26 to have biometric passports if they wish to continue travelling without a visa.

But the European Commission justice spokesman said he was confident most, if not all, EU countries would be ready by then.

"We are confident that most of the member states, if not all, will have completed (the procedure) by October 26," said Friso Roscam Abbing, adding the Commission was currently receiving new notifications by member states that they were ready to issue these new passports.

The US does not require visas from citizens of 15 of the 25 EU countries, but the waiver scheme does not apply to Greece or the 10 new, mostly ex-communist, member states, with the exception of Slovenia. The European Commission is set to issue a report in September on talks between the US and the 10 countries whose citizens continue to need visas.

It has warned it had the power to recommend sanctions, such as requiring US diplomats to seek visas, if there was not sufficient progress in the talks.