This hearing constitutes a stage in the National Assembly and Senate's consideration of the issue of biometrics. It follows another report that Mr Christian Cabal, Deputy for the Loire, presented nearly three years ago after a series of interviews and visits to various authorities either in charge of these issues or making use of this system or these procedures. This report takes into account observations made at times. Since then, rather moderate technical changes have been made, with more important changes having taken place at the sociological and regulatory levels due to particularly pressing concerns on the part of the authorities regarding the prevention of terrorism and various forms of crime. Therefore, we have seen a more or less rapid evolution of several measures, even though Western Europe remains particularly behind in this domain compared to the United States and other North and South American countries. This public hearing takes stock of the situation, thereby allowing to enlighten the authorities who are about to propose legislative changes, in particular with regard to the national identity card whose modifications are looming. It was necessary three years following the initial report to provide an update of the various domains dealing with biometrics, especially as the counterfeiting of documents has developed in various circumstances and situations since 2003. In this manner, we can help enlighten parliament which has recently presented two reports dealing with the subject of biometrics in a joint and closely related manner: the report prepared by Mr. Pierre Lasbordes, Deputy, Vice-President of the OPECST [the Parliamentary Office for the Evaluation of Scientific and Technological Choices], presented to the Prime Minister and dealing with information-system security and that prepared by Mr. Jean-René Lecerf, Senator, reporter for the Senate's fact-finding mission on intelligent identity systems and the respect of civil liberties. The legislature would like to improve those texts already in existence in order to strengthen our ability to fight against the various forms of crime linked to identity and the expression of identity. Initiatives concerning the use of biometric techniques have emerged in almost all developed countries and in certain less developed countries. It was absolutely necessary to take stock, on a scientific level, of the various techniques and of the observations they engendered.