French adopt e-passport technology

France is the latest country to select secure contactless smart card chip technology from Philips for integration into its new electronic passports.

France is the latest country to select secure contactless smart card chip technology from Philips for integration into its new electronic passports.

The e-passports are initially being issued in Hauts-de-Seine, West of Paris and will be rolled out across the country by the end of June 2006.

The French government is to produce 20,000 e-passports a day to meet the June deadline.

The new passports have been issued to comply with US border regulations - or Visa Waiver Program (VWP) - which means that some countries' passports have to store biometric data and a digital image for visitors wishing to enjoy visa-free travel to the country.

The Common Criteria EAL5+ security certified Philips SmartMX chip technology embedded in the new French passports is secured by highly advanced encryption hardware and physical hacking counter measures to meet the sophisticated demands of security-sensitive markets such as e-government and banking.

It will be used to protect and store unique passport holder information, reducing fraud and forgery of travel documents and enhancing security for travellers.

"Interoperability and security of electronic travel documents are must-haves for governments and are crucial to ensuring public acceptance of this new means of secure identification".

"Any e-passport project must deliver both".

"The selection of Philips secure technology for the French e-passports is a rousing testimony that we can deliver both", said Marc de Jong, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Automotive and Identification, Philips Semiconductors.

"We believe technology should simplify consumers lives, and e-passports are a good example of how that can be achieved".

"Electronic passports enable greater levels of security than those provided by current passports, boost traveller safety, and shorten the amount of time spent in passport control queues while also allowing governments to better protect their borders".

Philips technology is the industry's leading choice for secure e-passports with a market share of over 80%; it encompasses currently 28 governments, including Germany, Austria, New Zealand and France.

Philips has been instrumental in developing passport chip solutions to meet the International Civil Aviation Organisation's (ICAO) standards, designed around current and future security needs for travellers and governments.

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