http://www.statewatch.org/news/2003/sep/19eubiometric.htm

Tony Bunyan, Statewatch editor, comments:

"These proposals are yet another result of the "war on terrorism" which show that the EU is just as keen as the USA to introduce systems of mass surveillance which have much more to do with political and social control than fighting terrorism.

To the proposed surveillance of all telecommunications is added the control of movement of all visitors and third country nationals, to be followed by that of EU citizens too. How long will it be before there will be a compulsory EU identity card? All the data will be held on the EU-wide Schengen Information System which can be accessed by tens of thousands of officials - how long will it be before biometrics collected for travel documents will be used for other purposes?

As to data protection, no new powers should be taken to collect personal data until national data protection authorities are given proper investigative powers and finance and the European Commission itself demonstrates a willingness to actually enforce the 1995 Directive"