EU’s EES delayed again, border crossings still lack equipment

The European Union has confirmed that its upcoming biometric travel scheme will be delayed following warnings from several member states that they are not ready to introduce the Entry-Exit System (EES) on November 10th.

On Thursday, European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson said there is no new timeline for implementing the EES.

“After in-depth discussions with member states and stakeholders, it’s clear that this is not going to be the 10th of November,” says Johansson. “What we discussed today is the possibility of a phased approach . . . not a big bang of all border crossing points at the same time.”

Going for the phased approach, however, will require legal changes that need to be approved by the EU Council and the European Parliament – a process that could take months, according to The Financial Times. Current legislation predicts that biometric border control will be introduced in all of Europe simultaneously. The agency in charge of the travel system, EU-Lisa plans to start discussions on legal changes next week.

The EES has already faced several delays — the biometric border system’s original launch target was 2021. The latest delay was announced after France, Germany and the Netherlands expressed concern over the lack of time to test the system and the possibility of long queues at borders.

Meanwhile, the EU has made its first steps towards a new EU Digital Travel app aimed at speeding up border controls for everyone traveling in the Schengen area.

Still no EES equipment at some French border crossings

One glaring example of the lack of preparation for the EES comes from France. Earlier this week, Ports de Normandie said that it would not be “technically possible” to apply the system’s rules in many places.

The group operates three ports in Normandy that process British and Irish passengers traveling on ferries. The ferry ports, however, still lack key equipment for processing passengers according to the new border check scheme which requires mandatory fingerprint and facial recognition registration for non-EU citizens.

The pre-registration kiosks, which allow passengers to enter passport information, answer travel questions and give biometric data, are still empty of equipment. Border authorities are also yet to receive tablets which are handed to car passengers for registration, says Ports de Normandie, Jérôme Chauvet.

“We, at any rate, will not be able to do the checks since, as yet the tablets have not been delivered and the kiosks are not equipped with their IT systems,” he says.

Chauvet added that the communication network linking the kiosks to the EU’s databases has been installed but the French government has not turned on the antenna that connects data from the ports to the EU system, Connexion France reports.

Ports de Normandie has also previously warned that it had no chance to test the EES system.

Similar concerns have been brewing on the other side of the English Channel at the Port of Dover, the Eurotunnel and London’s St Pancras railway station.

Gibraltar still without clarity on EES

The delay of the EES will allow more time to settle the status of areas such as Gibraltar, a British overseas territory located at the southern tip of Spain.

After Brexit, the enclave Gibraltar remained a part of EU agreements such as the Schengen Area, pending a lasting solution. This week, however, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares called on the UK to clarify the territory’s status before EES kicks in, Reuters reports.

“We propose… to include Gibraltar within the Schengen area, but it is up to Britain to decide whether it prefers that or prefers that from Nov. 10 there is this system of entry and exit for Gibraltar residents,” he said.

Once the EES border schemes begin, Gibraltar will likely have to introduce a hard border, impacting thousands of people traveling to and from the territory every day. Spanish immigration authorities currently allow Gibraltar red ID card holders to enter Spain without having their passport stamped. Unless a new UK-EU treaty is reached on Gibraltar, this will likely have to change.

Article Topics

biometric identification  |  biometrics  |  border security  |  Entry/Exit System (EES)  |  EU  |  eu-LISA  |  European Commission