For us, the main purpose of implementing a biometric system is to establish a traveller's identity. If we can use our partners' help to determine that a person with the same characteristics has already submitted an application or has already visited another country under a different identity, we will have a strong indication that the person is not acting in good faith. At the beginning of the process, that helps us establish the identity of the individual before us by matching their physical characteristics to a specific name.
On June 4th, 2013. See this statement in context.