EU plans to fingerprint foreigners to beef up borders

By Ingrid Melander

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Commission unveiled on Wednesday a plan to fingerprint all foreigners visiting Europe's 24-nation border-free area, as part of a series of border-security proposals.

The electronic register, similar to a policy adopted by the United States after the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001, could go into effect by 2015 if governments and European lawmakers agree with the plan, the European Union executive said.

The European Commission says the scheme, part of a series of proposals to fight terrorism, organised crime and illegal migration, is needed to protect the bloc's borders now that travellers can cross national boundaries without checks between 24 member states in the enlarged border-free "Schengen" zone.

"This package puts forward new ideas on the table for the control of our borders ... using the most advanced technology to reach the highest level of security," EU Justice and Security Commissioner Franco Frattini said in a statement.

The entry/exit electronic register, which has sparked privacy concerns, could be complemented by a form air travellers would fill in on the Internet before flying to the bloc.

These extra security measures could be compensated by accelerated, automated check-in procedures for registered travellers considered safe enough by consular authorities.

All EU states except Britain, Ireland, Cyprus, Romania and Bulgaria are part of the borderless area, to which non-EU members Norway and Iceland also belong.

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