Greek police launch tender for secure ID cards, passports

The Greek Police (ELAS) on Thursday launched a tender to create a new electronic system that will issue new, more secure identity cards in Greece that will meet the standards and technical specifications of the European Union.

Apart from the new IDs, the Integrated Information System for Security Documents will also provide new secure driving licenses and upgrade existing passports.

ELAS has already invited EU companies to participate in the tender, state-run news agency ANA-MPA reported. The companies that will express an interest in the tender will have to have issued similar security documents to at least two more EU states.

With the new system, the new identity cards and other documents will fulfil all the recommendations of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the EU.

The EU is pushing for an overhaul of ID issuing system to target terrorism and curb the spread of fake documents.

As a member-state of the EU, Greece has been obliged since 2000 to upgrade its ID cards but has yet to overhaul the current system.

The cost of upgrading existing ID cards is estimated at around 80 million euros.