L 353/26 Official Journal of the European Union 28.12.2013 COUNCIL REGULATION (EU) No 1417/2013 of 17 December 2013 laying down the form of the laissez-passer issued by the European Union THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to Protocol No 7 on the privileges and immunities of the European Union annexed to the Treaty on European Union, the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and the Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community, and in particular the first paragraph of Article 6 thereof, Whereas: (1) The first paragraph of Article 6 of Protocol No 7 on the privileges and immunities of the European Union (Protocol’) provides that the Council prescribes the form of the laissez-passer which are to be recognised as valid travel documents by the authorities of the Member States. It is recalled that the first paragraph of Article 6 of the Protocol applies to members of the institutions of the Union and servants of the Union, who are subject either to the Staff Regulations of Officials or the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union (7). Article 23 of the Staff Regulations of Officials, as well as Articles 11 and 81 of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union, lay down the conditions under which the laissez-passer is issued to servants of the Union. In the interest of the Union and in order to comply with the duty of care, the benefit of the laissez-passer may be extended, on exceptional basis and upon due motivation, to special applicants. In any event, a laissez-passer does not grant privileges and immunities to its holder. The laissez-passer is to be recognised as a valid travel document by the authorities of the Member States. The Commission should make use of the possibility provided for under the second paragraph of Article 6 of the Protocol to conclude necessary agreements with third countries with a view to recognising laissez-passer as valid travel documents for border crossing and within the territory of third countries. (1) Staff Regulations of Officials and the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union, laid down in Council Regu- lation (EEC, Euratom, ECSC) No 259/68 (O] L 56, 4.3.1968, p. 1). ) (10) Developments at Union level, in particular the estab- lishment of the European External Action Service, have further enhanced the need for a coherent approach at the international and Union levels. The form of the laissez-passer should be upgraded to achieve enhanced security standards and to contribute to ensuring a proper level of protection against forgery, counterfeiting and falsification. Common  security standards and interoperable biometric identifiers should be integrated into the laissez-passer in order to establish a reliable link between the rightful holder and the document, making an important contribution to ensuring protection against its fraudulent use. In particular, the form of the laissez-passer should comply with the security standards and technical specifications applicable to the national travel documents issued by Member States pursuant to Council Regulation (EC) No 2252/2004 (?). This allows for compliance with the spec- ifications of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), in particular those appearing in ICAO Document 9303 on machine-readable travel documents, as they will contribute to protecting the laissez-passer against fraudulent use and to having it internationally recognised as a valid travel document. Likewise, the Union should participate in the ICAO Public Key Directory following the applicable ICAO standards and recommended practices with a view to allowing facilitated worldwide validation of laissez-passer. In order to ensure that uniform conditions for future security standards and technical specifications for passports and travel documents issued by Member States apply equally, where appropriate, to Union laissez-passer, implementing powers should be conferred on the Commission. Moreover, implementing powers should be conferred on the Commission to establish rules for institutions, agencies or other bodies of the Union, as well as to the European External Action Service (hereinafter referred to as the ‘institutions’), in cases of loss, theft, issuance of duplicates and returns of laissez-passer. Those powers should be exercised in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 1822011 of the European Parliament and of the Council (3). (3) Council Regulation (EC) No 2252/2004 of 13 December 2004 on standards for security features and biometrics in passports and travel documents issued by Member States (O] L 385, 29.12.2004, p. 1). (®) Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 February 2011 laying down the rules and general principles concerning mechanisms for control by the Member States of the Commission’s exercise of implementing powers (O] L 55, 28.2.2011, p. 13).