Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Council Regulation (EC) No 2252/2004 on standards for security features and biometrics in passports and travel documents issued by Member States

COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

Brussels, 16 April 2009 (17.04)

1. On 19 October 2007 the Commission sent the Council the above proposal [1], based on Article 62(2)(a) of the EC Treaty.

2. In accordance with the joint declaration on practical arrangements for the codecision procedure [2], informal talks were held between the Council, the European Parliament and the Commission with a view to reaching agreement at first reading.

3. The European Parliament delivered its first reading opinion on 14 January 2009, passing one amendment to the Commission proposal. The outcome of voting in the European Parliament [3] reflects the compromise agreement reached between the institutions and should thus be acceptable to the Council.

4. The Permanent Representatives Committee is therefore asked to confirm agreement and advise the Council to:

adopt the Regulation, as set out in PE CONS 3606/09, as an "A" item at a forthcoming meeting;

have the statements in the addendum hereto entered in the minutes of that meeting.

After being signed by the President of the European Parliament, the President of the Council and the Secretaries General of the two institutions, the legislative act will be published in the Official Journal of the European Union.