BEST Network, the Biometrics European Stakeholders Network, is a European Commission ICT Policy Support Programme centred on a European Thematic Network on Trusted information infrastructures and biometric technologies. To facilitate the latest information exchange and expert opinion, BEST Network has brought together key stakeholders including the finest experts from across the EU to determine how biometrics can most appropriately be applied in the context of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union.
BEST Network will focus on promoting the development of new policy implementation schemes through working groups and workshops. This will include the exchange of best practices, common cross border strategies and future pilot activities.
This European Thematic Network on biometrics is based on four pillars:
- technical, scientific, and industrial excellence;
- legal analysis and compliance;
- ethical awareness and sensitivity and
- public and democratic transparency and scrutiny.
The objective of BEST Network is to be instrumental in promoting the uptake of secure, convenient and trustworthy biometrics based ICT solutions for large, medium and small ID management systems.
The scope of BEST Network extends beyond security applications of biometrics. While the most visible applications on the market are ‘mandatory’ applications for state security, such as border control and national ID programmes, biometrics may become a technology with which European citizens voluntarily interact daily as an enabling, convenient technology. Among these are applications in e-commerce, e-banking and health monitoring, and also voluntary security applications such as positive identification for fast tracking border control. All of these are expected to have a profound ethical, social, and legal impact on everyday life and the BEST Network will examine all of these impacts.
The duration of the project is 24 months and involves 26 partners and 14 external partners.