European Biometrics Forum

The European Biometrics Forum, founded and launched on 21 July 2003 by the European Commission and the Irish Government.

They have reports about Biovision Project originated as a response to the final call of the Fifth Framework IST programme, as one of a number of roadmap projects aiming to define the research agenda for the subsequent Sixth Framework programme.

The project commenced on 1 June 2002 and completed on 31 July 2003.

Biometric technologies should be viewed as mechanisms that address one aspect of
an application. Whether the use of biometrics enhances or reduces personal privacy,
improves or worsens security, makes authentication more or less convenient, will
depend on other features of the application. This is no different from many other
technologies. It follows, therefore, that discussion of biometric performance, legality or usability should be in the context of a specific application. Moreover, the value of biometric methods - in improving security, convenience, etc - should be judged from the perspective of operators of services using these methods, and from the experience of the end users of such services.