2006/648/EC: Commission Decision of 22 September 2006 laying down the technical specifications on the standards for biometric features related to the development of the Visa Information System (notified under document number C(2006) 3699)
Date: 2006-09-22
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: admission of aliens, biometrics, information system, technical specification, technical standard

27.9.2006

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 267/41

II

(Acts whose publication is not obligatory)

COMMISSION

COMMISSION DECISION

of 22 September 2006

laying down the technical specifications on the standards for biometric features related to the
development of the Visa Information System

(notified under document number C(2006) 3699)

(Only the Czech, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Polish,
Portuguese, Swedish, Slovak, Slovene, Spanish, and Hungarian versions are authentic)

(2006/648/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

biometric identifiers in the development of the central
part of the VIS.

Having regard to the Treaty
Community,

establishing the European

Having regard to Council Decision 2004/512/EC of 8 June
2004 establishing the Visa Information System (VIS) (1), and
in particular Article 4 thereof,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

Decision 2004/512/EC established the VIS as a system
for the exchange of visa data between Member States and
gives the mandate to the Commission to develop the VIS,
consisting of
the Central Visa Information System, a
National Interface in each Member State and the commu-
nication infrastructure between the Central Visa Infor-
mation System and the National Interfaces.

It is appropriate that the development of the VIS includes
preparatory measures necessary for biometric features to
be incorporated at a later stage.

The Council conclusions of 19-20 February 2004 on the
development of the Visa Information System (VIS) set
forth the requirement
for biometric identifiers to be
coherent with the Central Visa Information System.

The Council conclusions of 17 February 2005 on the
inclusion of biometric data in visas and residence
permits invite the Commission to make the necessary
efforts to bring forward to 2006 the activation of

(5)

(6)

(7)

(8)

It is necessary to set forth technical specifications on the
standards
the deve-
for biometric features used for
the VIS so that Member States can take
lopment of
preparatory
their national
connecting
for
actions
systems to the Central Visa Information System.

The quality and reliability of biometric identifiers is of
the highest importance. It is therefore necessary to define
the technical standards that will allow meeting these
requirements of quality and reliability. This will have
serious
the
Member States.

financial and technical

implications

for

This decision does not create any new standards;
coherent with ICAO standards.

it is

In accordance with Council Decision 2000/365/EC of 29
May 2000 concerning the request of the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to take part in
some of the provisions of the Schengen acquis (2), the
United Kingdom has not taken part in the adoption of
Decision 2004/512/EC and is not bound by it or subject
to its application as it constitutes a development of
provisions of the Schengen acquis. The United Kingdom
is
this Commission
decision.

therefore not an addressee of

(1) OJ L 213, 15.6.2004, p. 5.

(2) OJ L 131, 1.6.2000, p. 43.

L 267/42

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

27.9.2006

(9)

(10)

the provisions of

In accordance with Council Decision 2002/192/EC of 28
February 2002 concerning Ireland's request to take part
the Schengen acquis (1),
in some of
Ireland has not taken part in the adoption of Decision
2004/512/EC and is not bound by it or subject to its
application as it constitutes a development of provisions
of
Ireland is therefore not an
addressee of this Commission decision.

the Schengen acquis.

Pursuant to Article 5 of the Protocol on the position of
Denmark, annexed to the Treaty on European Union and
the Treaty establishing the European Community, on 13
August 2004 Denmark decided to implement Decision
2004/512/EC in Danish law. Decision 2004/512/EC is
thus binding upon Denmark in international law.

(11) As regards Iceland and Norway, Decision 2004/512/EC
constitutes a development of provisions of the Schengen
acquis within the meaning of the Agreement concluded
by the Council of the European Union and the Republic
of Iceland and the Kingdom of Norway concerning the
association of those two States with the implementation,
application and development of the Schengen acquis (2),
which fall within the area referred to in Article 1, point B
of Council Decision 1999/437/EC of 17 May 1999 on
certain arrangements
the
Agreement concluded by the Council of the European
Union and the Republic of Iceland and the Kingdom of
Norway concerning the association of those two States
with the implementation, application and development of
the Schengen acquis (3).

application of

the

for

(12) As

regards

Decision

Switzerland,

the provisions of

2004/512/EC
constitutes a development of
the
Schengen acquis within the meaning of the Agreement
European
European Union,
signed
Community and the Swiss Confederation on the latter’s
association with the implementation, application and
development of the Schengen acquis which fall within
the Council
the area referred to in Article 4(1) of

the

the

by

the European
decision on the signing, on behalf of
Community, and on the provisional application of
certain provisions of this Agreement.

(13)

in this Decision are in
The measures provided for
accordance with the opinion of the Committee set up
by Article 5(1) of Council Regulation (EC) No
2424/2001 of 6 December 2001 on the development
of the second generation Schengen Information System
(SIS II) (4),

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

The technical specifications on the standards for biometric
features related to the development of the Visa Information
System are set out in the Annex to this Decision.

Article 2

the

Federal Republic of Germany,

This Decision is addressed to the Kingdom of Belgium, the
Czech Republic,
the
Republic of Estonia, the Hellenic Republic, the Kingdom of
Spain, the French Republic, the Italian Republic, the Republic
of Cyprus, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania, the
Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, the Republic of Hungary, the
Republic of Malta,
the
the Kingdom of
Republic of Austria, the Republic of Poland, the Portuguese
Republic, the Republic of Slovenia, the Slovak Republic, the
Republic of Finland and the Kingdom of Sweden.

the Netherlands,

Done at Brussels, 22 September 2006.

For the Commission

Franco FRATTINI
Vice-President

(1) OJ L 64, 7.3.2002, p. 20.
(2) OJ L 176, 10.7.1999, p. 36.
(3) OJ L 176, 10.7.1999, p. 31.

(4) OJ L 328, 13.12.2001, p. 4.

27.9.2006

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Official Journal of the European Union

L 267/43

ANNEX

1. Objective

This annex sets forth minimum requirements relating to standards and input formats that are to be met when
capturing and transmitting data to the CS-VIS. Further specifications will be developed at a later stage when the
detailed technical specifications of the future Biometric Matching System (BMS) will be defined.

2.

File and compression format
The input format of alphanumeric data and fingerprint images is compliant with the ANSI/NIST-ITL 1 — 2000
specified format. The latest interpretation of this format was developed by the Interpol AFIS Expert group in October
2005 (version 4.22b). The compression format to be used is WSQ.

3. Devices

CS-VIS will be compatible and interoperable with live scan devices, used at the national level, which are capable of
capturing and segmenting up to ten flat individual fingerprints.

3.1. Resolution

The minimum acceptable resolution is 500 dpi with 256 grey levels.

4. Requirements

The following requirements, for use with live scan devices, must be met.

4.1. Quality

The CS-VIS will be developed with quality thresholds for accepting fingerprints from NS-VIS. A check on quality
must be performed locally prior to sending the images to the CS-VIS, which must meet the specifications that will be
defined. Fingerprint images that do not meet the quality threshold determined by the CS-VIS will be rejected. The
quality threshold may be modified in time.

4.2. Segmentation

Segmentation is the process of partitioning each multi-finger image into multiple single-finger images. Segmentation
must be performed at the national level before the quality check, as quality checks can only be performed on single
finger images.

The CS-VIS will be developed to accept segmented fingerprint images only.

4.3. Sequencing

Sequencing is the process of identifying specific fingers for each flat fingerprint image to ensure proper identification
and sequence. The CS-VIS will be developed to store the order of transmitted segmented and sequenced fingerprint
images.