Over 620,000 electronic IDs already issued

11 May 2005

BRUSSELS – A total of 621,796 electronic ID cards have been issued in Belgium, according to figures out on Wednesday.

The Federal Public Interior Service said 160,000 of the new cards were being given out every month.

Denis Van Melsen, who is coordinating the project, said a million will have been issued by July.

Some 585 out of 589 communes in Belgium are distributing electronic ID cards, leaving just Antwerp, Beersel, La Bruyere and Herstappe to join the scheme.

Subject: Belgian news