The new electronic identity card with fingerprints will be implemented in several municipalities as a test starting from next week.
The new design will replace the current one, which has been in force since 2002. The new eID, which also has a new layout, will comply with "the strict international rules aimed at making identity checks more efficient," said the FPS Domestic Affairs, reports Het Nieuwsblad.
The new ID-card will contain fingerprints, a controversial measure that was approved in November 2018, despite the Data Protection Authority advising against it.
In February, a study by the Computer Security and Industrial Cryptography (COSIC) research group of the KU Leuven concluded that the measure was "unclear, redundant, disproportionate, and the impact full of risks," reports Het Nieuwsblad.
The FPS Domestic Affairs says that it has "read and analysed" the KU Leuven study, according to spokesman Peter Grouwels. "We took into account some things that we thought were apt, but we did not see the need for most of them. We were not convinced by the arguments that were put forward," he added, according to the Belga press agency.
Different colours will also be used, and the photo will be on the left of the card instead of the right side. The new design will be presented officially for the first time on Tuesday.
When the new eID will be implemented throughout the country will depend on the outcome of the tests.
Maïthé Chini
The Brussels Times
