eurealist.co.uk

This week it was reported that the Home Office intends to link implementation of an Identity Card and National Identity Register with an EU Directive on the content of passports.

In fact, as we have repeatedly reported, the UK is not bound by the EU biometric passport regulations because it is not a signatory to the Schengen Agreements that remove border controls between EU countries. It has also emerged that EU member states are to replace national drivers licences with EU licences that will only last 10 years and look set to contain a microchip containing data about the owner. The issuing of new licences will be obligatory from 2012.

The government will no doubt use this directive as an excuse for linking licence renewal to national identity registration. In November 2005, during the UK’s presidency, EU ministers attending a summit in Manchester unanimously approved the ‘Manchester Declaration’ which says:

“Member States will, during 2006, agree a process and roadmap for achieving the electronic identity objectives and address the national and European legal barriers to the achievement of the electronic identity objectives. Work in this area is essential for public administrations to deliver personalised electronic services with no ambiguity as to the user’s identity.”

No 2ID