EU decides not to suspend the EES even as it admits difficulties

The European Union has decided to press ahead with biometric border controls despite admitting “20 difficult spots.”

Airports and airlines had called on the EU to suspend the fingerprint and face biometric border controls, which have caused lengthy delays in some spots, as the peak summer holiday season is due to begin.

However, EU officials have informed travel industry representatives that a full suspension was “not possible” and “not needed,” according to The Guardian. While EU authorities admitted the new EES system was “not perfect,” it said that inconsistent application of the EES would create the “unfortunate situation of travellers stranded at border crossings.”

For example, a traveller could be wrongly flagged if they entered Schengen through a border using the new controls but exited through one that had not yet adopted them. In that scenario, the system might record them as overstaying their 90‑day limit, putting them at risk of being refused entry on a later visit.

Last week, representatives of airlines and airports and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) had called for the suspension of the EES until next summer. Passengers had experienced lengthy delays and even missed flights in Italy, Greece, Spain, Portugal and Belgium, affecting travellers from the likes of the UK and U.S., who need to log their biometrics as third-country visitors.

Frontex warned the issues could last for two years, and individual airports have been sounding the alarm. But the EES system was not implemented in a rush as pilots began in mid-2019.

Officials said only around 20 of the EU’s 1,500 border crossing points were “difficult spots” experiencing serious pressure, with member states expected to put fixes in place. One of the worst delays occurred at a small airport where 3,000 passengers arrived within an hour but only four biometric booths were available. Authorities claimed this was a seasonal issue lasting just a few months as the airport is located in a holiday destination.

Queues have already eased in Lisbon after extra staff were deployed, and Brussels Airport is adding 50 Frontex officers. An EU official said improvements were appearing “progressively” across the network.

ETIAS not likely to come online this year

Relatedly, the Financial Times reports that the ETIAS system is set to be delayed until next year. The European Travel and Authorization System reflects the U.S. ESTA system and is designed to pre-authorize entry to the EU, with applicants paying €20 and submitting to pre-travel security checks.

But following the turbulent rollout of the EES, the agency responsible for implementing ETIAS, EU–Lisa, has decided to postpone the rollout of the ETIAS. “Let’s clean up EES first before you put another system that will double the line again,” an unnamed source, who has been briefed on the discussions, told the FT.

An agency spokesperson said the EU–Lisa board had considered ETIAS’ “entry into operation” on June 17, but that since then there have been no further developments. The board could possibly meet again in September to deliberate on a new timeline.

According to a letter written by EU home affairs commissioner Magnus Brunner, to aviation bosses, and seen by the FT, the commissioner laid the blame at national authorities for delays. “Other factors – unrelated to the EES – like insufficient staff or lack of adequate infrastructure, could be at the origin of delays,” Brunner said in the letter.

IT issues are causing some issues with the launch of ETIAS, but “many factors” are contributing to the decision of when to launch it, an EU commission spokesperson said.

As for the EES, under EES rules, airports and ports can pause biometric checks when queues become unmanageable, but that flexibility expires in September. So far, officials say no country has asked for the opt‑out to be extended — despite calls from the travel industry for a longer suspension.

Sweden announced it would roll out the time-saving Travel to Europe biometric pre-registration app built with technology from Inverid (since acquired by Signicat) and iProov a year ago. Portugal became the second just months ago.

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) also endorsed a letter from ACI, IATA and A4E, calling for accelerated adoption of the Travel to Europe app, a communication campaign to prepare travellers for EES requirements and “full operational readiness at borders.”

Article Topics

biometrics  |  border security  |  Entry/Exit System (EES)  |  ETIAS  |  eu-LISA  |  Frontex