Ron Onrust pointed me to this New York Times article on the future use of biometrics in passports of European citizens.
Under the United States' Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act of 2002, countries whose citizens enjoy visa-free travel to the United States — as is the case with most if not all of Western Europe — must issue passports with biometric identifiers no later than Oct. 26, 2004.
"The solution which is mostly likely is a chip in the passport containing fingerprints and eye scans," said Pietro Petrucci, a spokesman for the European Commission.
Apparently biometrics industry in the US has also sponsored the Bush campaign.