Vitorino seeks to harmonise ID papers

Date: 26/10/00

By John Shelley

JUSTICE chief António Vitorino looks set to call for the colour of EU passports to be changed to blue when he unveils plans to harmonise the format of all Union identity papers next month.

Under the Commissioner's proposals, which are due to be adopted by the EU executive within weeks, all member states would be required to use the same design for their passports, identity cards and visas.

Officials in the justice and home affairs directorate-general are still working on draft designs for the documents, but say Vitorino is likely to suggest a universal colour change for passports.

Currently, all EU passports are supposed to be of the same size, colour and format under a non-binding agreement between member states.

But in reality, they differ from country to country. "They are not actually all the same," said one official. "They are all supposed to be burgundy red, but if you look at them, they vary. Some are closer to brown."

The planned new rules to govern identity cards would be even more far-reaching, requiring big changes in some member states' papers. Vitorino's proposals would require all EU countries which oblige their citizens to carry identity cards to adopt a common format, ending the current patchwork of rules which means that the shape and design of the cards, and the details included on them, vary widely from one member state to another.

The Commissioner will, however, steer clear of any attempt to require all EU governments to issue identity cards - a move which would spark an outcry in countries such as the UK, Ireland and Sweden which have no tradition of forcing their citizens to carry ID.

Officials are refusing to give details of what the common cards would look like, although they say it would come in two sizes: one modelled on credit cards and the other about the size of a passport. The Commission is also considering whether the new identity card should contain a barcode or microchip with electronically-stored information about the bearer.

EU diplomats say the proposals are bound to run into resistance from some member states, given the furore over the harmonisation of passports in some EU countries when it was first introduced and the potentially enormous cost of changing national procedures for making, distributing and using the existing cards.

"Many countries have spent a lot of time and money getting their systems as they are now to work properly and effectively," said one. "I think they will be reluctant to implement more changes."

Vitorino's proposals will also include changes to visas for visitors to the EU. Although the Union already has a common visa sticker, Vitorino wants to make it more difficult to forge and tighten procedures for storing blank visas.

Justice chief António Vitorino looks set to call for the colour of EU passports to be changed to blue when he unveils plans to harmonise the format of all Union identity papers.