French eDriver license to use Infineon microprocessors
25 September, 2013
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Infineon Technologies will provide its security chips for France’s new electronic driver licenses. The new, polycarbonate smart cards will contain Infineon’s SLE78 microprocessor. The embedded microprocessor securely stores both the biometric and personal data of the license holder protecting identity and helping to reduce fraud.
France’s state printer, Imprimerie Nationale, will produce the cards. As many as 10% of all French driver licenses in circulation are believed to be counterfeit, and thus French police expect to see increased safety on the street following the introduction of the new license.
France, one of Europe’s most populous countries at 65 million citizens, is setting an example for the rest of the continent with its issuing of electronic driving licenses and residence permits in line with the latest EU standards. The eDriver license will also be used as an identification document and must be updated every fifteen years.
Fully standardized polycarbonate driving licenses will become mandatory across the European continent by the year 2033. At present, there are 110 different licenses, with varying formats and security levels, in circulation throughout the EU.
Joining electronic passports, IDs and electronic residence permits, the eDriver license is another benchmark in the introduction of synchronized, electronic identification documents within the European Union, an initiative largely driven by the European Commission’s Digital Agenda.