However, by 2010, the EU was ironically asking the UK to justify the large number of schools using a fingerprint system for identification:
Europe tells Britain to justify itself over fingerprinting children in schools
The European Commission has demanded Britain justifies the widespread and routine fingerprinting of children in schools because of "significant concerns" that the policy breaks EU privacy laws.
The commissioner is also concerned that parents are not allowed legal redress after one man was told he could not challenge the compulsory fingerprinting, without his permission, of his daughter for a "unique pupil number".
In many schools, when using the canteen or library, children, as young as four, place their thumbs on a scanner and lunch money is deducted from their account or they are registered as borrowing a book.
Research carried out by Dr Emmeline Taylor, at Salford University, found earlier this year that 3,500 schools in the UK – one in seven – are using fingerprint technology.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/eu/8202076/Europe-tells-Britain-to-justify-itself-over-fingerprinting-children-in-schools.htmlIncoming people with visas for the UK do have to give fingerprints, however, over the age of 6:
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/customs-travel/Enteringtheuk/fingerprint-checks-at-border/
And the EU, apart from Britain and Ireland, does now include fingerprints on its own passports:
The European Union's highest court rejected on Thursday a German man's challenge to the inclusion of his fingerprints in his passport, saying such data helped to prevent identity fraud and to curb illegal immigration.
EU rules requiring newly issued biometric passports to include fingerprints came into effect in 2004, though a full rollout has taken many years. They apply to all EU member states except Britain and Ireland.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/10/17/uk-eu-fingerprints-idUKBRE99G0FX20131017
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