| Author (Corporate) | European Commission: DG Migration and Home Affairs |
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| Series Details | COM (2024) 671 |
| Publication Date | 08/10/2024 |
| Content Type | Policy-making |
Summary:Legislative initiative adopted by the European Commission on 8 October 2024 on the issuance of and technical standards for digital travel credentials based on identity cards. This is a text with EEA relevance. Further information:Directive 2004/38/EC provides that citizens of the European Union (EU) can exercise their right to free movement and residence using identity cards and passports. These travel documents are high-security physical documents based on the specifications of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), and are equipped with a contactless storage medium (chip) containing the holder’s biographic data, facial image and two fingerprints. ICAO has been working to digitise travel documents to facilitate air travel since 2016. The result of this work by ICAO is the development of a digital travel credential standard that makes use of the personal data (excluding fingerprints) stored on the chip of a travel document. That technological progress in the field of travel documents could be harnessed to facilitate the exercise of the right to free movement, by using the data in the contactless chip of physical documents to create digital travel credentials. For the purposes of this draft law, digital travel credential means a digital representation of the person's identity derived from the information stored in the chip of the identity card that can be securely and reliably validated using public key infrastructure of the Member State authority issuing the identity card. EU citizens may use their identity cards to cross the external borders of the Schengen area, so these credentials could allow them to pass through border controls more quickly and more smoothly. The proposed Council Regulation introduces a digital travel credential based on passports and sets out specifications for the EU Digital Travel application. As announced in the European Commission's 2023 Work Programme, it has been considered that a uniform standard for digital travel credentials should be laid down at EU level. The EU's technical specifications should be based on ICAO's standard. This should avoid fragmentation, ensure compliance with EU values and guarantee that all EU citizens can benefit from digital travel credentials. The draft law was adopted by the European Commission on 8 October 2024 alongside a draft Regulation establishing the EU Digital Travel application. |
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| Source Link | Link to Main Source https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=COM:2024:671:FIN |
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| Subject Categories | Justice and Home Affairs |
| Subject Tags | Border Control | Management, Schengen Agreement | Area |
| International Organisations | European Union [EU] |
