US embassy cable - 04ROME3200

UNCLAS ROME 003200 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: CMGT, PREL, IT 
SUBJECT: ITALY: EXTENSION OF DEADLINE FOR BIOMETRIC 
PASSPORTS FOR VISA WAIVER PROGRAM 
 
REF: STATE 173398 
 
1.  Consul General informed Min. Adriano Benedetti, MFA 
Director General for Italians Abroad and Political 
Migration, July 26 that Congress had passed legislation 
granting a one-year extension of the Visa Waiver Program 
biometric passport requirement and that the bill had 
gone to President Bush for signature.    Benedetti, who 
has been following the issue closely, said Italy was 
greatly appreciative of an extension, as implementation 
of the 2004 deadline would pose significant hardship to 
Italian travelers.  Benedetti noted that Italy still 
hopes to put its biometric-enabled passport into general 
circulation by the end of 2005.  As requested reftel, 
Consul General informed Benedetti by letter August 18 
that President Bush had signed the legislation into law. 
She also passed on reftel's talking points in the form 
of a nonpaper. 
 
2.  Regarding possible confusion between the extension 
of the biometric deadline and the upcoming October 26 
requirement for a machine-readable passport, during her 
discussion with Benedetti, the Consul General thanked 
the Ministry for its support of Mission Italy's outreach 
efforts to remind the many Italians who still have old- 
style passports that there will be no extension of that 
deadline.  Those travelers and all children without 
passports of their own (most children are included in 
the passports of their parents) will either need new 
passports or a visa by that day. 
 
SKODON 
 
 
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 2004ROME03200 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED