Nations that insist on printing their own
OTHER European nations produce their passports at home, despite EU competition rules which state that governments should not favour domestic companies
Exemptions can be made on the grounds of national security, and Germany, Spain, Italy and France have all awarded contracts to manufacturers based in those countries.
In France, all passports, identity cards and driving licences are made at the National Printing Works (Imprimerie Nationale) in Flers-en-Escrebieux, a town close to Lille.
Established during the reign of Francois I during the 16th century as the Royal Printing Works, it is a symbolic and proud national institution tied up in Gallic history.
The ultra- secure site produces more than 25million passports, identity cards, driving licences and other documents every year.
A French interior ministry spokesman said some 5million biometric passports are produced each year ‘for France and a number of other states’. These include Lebanon, which has close ties with France. The Imprimerie Nationale has always been the exclusive printer of France’s official documents. A 1994 law turned it into a limited company, but with the state as sole shareholder.
Italy’s passports are made in Rome at the Italian State Mint and Polygraphic Institute. In 2002 it became a public limited company but with the Italian ministry of economy and finance as sole shareholder.
Spain’s are made in Madrid and Burgos by the Royal Mint of Spain, a public corporation run by the ministry of economy.
Germany’s are produced by the Berlin Federal Printing Company, under direct contract from the German interior ministry.
Formerly a state monopoly, it is now a private company which also makes passports for China and the United Arab Emirates.
EU rules on public procurement were agreed by member states and the European Parliament and designed to obtain better value for taxpayers by ensuring that public contracts above certain thresholds are awarded through ‘transparent, non-discriminatory and competitive tender procedures’.
However, countries can rely on a ‘ national security’ exemption to justify directly awarding contracts, which must be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
In the United States the Government Publishing Office has produced the US passport for the Department of State since the 1920s. Last year it turned out about 22million.
Last night Tory MP Andrew Bridgen said: ‘We should have treated passports as a security issue, just as the French do. It is a security issue and we should have given the contract to a British company.
‘I understand De La Rue’s bid would have cost £120million more. But had we treated this as a security issue we could have negotiated the price down. We comply with all the EU rules and other countries bend them to suit themselves.’