The European Commission is launching an investigation into Dutch passport regulations. European Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding looking into whether Dutch passport legislation breaches EU data protection rules.
The move has been prompted by Dutch D66 democrat party MEP Sophie in ‘t Veld. She argues that the Dutch government is treating innocent citizens as potential criminals by storing their fingerprints for passports.
The Netherlands’ storage of fingerprints goes far further than other EU member states. The Dutch government asks for four fingerprints which are kept by local councils for later storage in a central database. Ms In ‘t Veld says the United Nations Human Rights Council is also critical of the privacy aspect of the Dutch passport process.
(mw)
© Radio Netherlands Worldwide
Email this Bulletin
Printer-friendly version
