European Parliament
Τriantaphyllides (GUE/NGL ).
(EL)
Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, we disagree with the introduction of biometric identifiers and feel that they infringe fundamental rights which we consider to be
acquis
. They are an insult to human dignity and jeopardise the safeguarding of important human rights, such as privacy and freedom of movement.
Behind these measures is concealed the adoption of the so-called 'war on terrorism' as a priority in the objectives of the European Union. It is important that Europe should not get carried away and should fight for the good of nations and people. This should imply resistance to such policies. The collection, storage, access to and transmission of personal data harbour huge dangers and are equivalent to acceptance of global policing and excessive controls.
I should like to take this opportunity to denounce the action of the Council, which adopted these measures before procedures had been completed in Parliament, as well as the arbitrary change to the provision on mandatory biometric identifiers in the passports of European citizens, from a digital photograph only to a photograph and fingerprint. The Council wrongly underestimated our role, the voice of the European citizens whom we represent …
(The President cut off the speaker)

