WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1824/97 by Laura DE ESTEBAN MARTIN to the Council. Community passport and minors
25. 5. 98 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 158/1 I (Information) EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT WRITTEN QUESTIONS WITH ANSWER (98/C 158/01) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1824/97 by Laura De Esteban Martin (PPE) to the Council (29 May 1997) Subject: Community passport and minors The current design of Community passports, drawn up by the Member States in accordance with the Council Resolution of 23 June 1981 (1), means that minors may receive inadequate protection in some Member States because they are not properly identified in the passport. In some cases, passports include a photograph of the mother or father as passport-holder, together with their details. The first names and surnames (full surnames do not always appear due to lack of space), date of birth and sex of children may be included in another page on presentation of their birth certificates. These details would make it possible for any adult to take a child of approximately the same age as the child included in their passport and remove the child from its country of residence, as the child would be unable to provide proof of its actual identity. Is the Council aware of the possible problems which this passport design might pose, and can it state its position on modifying the passport format to include new details such as the childís fingerprint and photograph which would make it possible to guarantee the identification of minors? (1) OJ C 241, 19. 9. 1981, p. 1. Answer (20 January 1998) The Council Resolution of 23 June 1981 (1) to which the Honourable Member refers, as supplemented most recently by the Resolution of 10 July 1995 (2), provides in part G for a page to be reserved, inter alia, for particulars of children accompanying the holder, including the name, surname, date of birth and sex of the child. Member States may also, if they so wish, provide for a photograph of the child to be added. Member States thus have some discretion as to the information that is to appear on the passport page provided for in part G of the Resolution. (1) OJ C 241, 19. 9. 1981, p. 1. (2) OJ C 200, 4. 8. 1995, p. 1