EU delays electronic border control system again

The European Union has once again delayed the rollout its new electronic border control system after Germany, France and the Netherlands warned the central infrastructure is not ready.

The long-delayed Entry-Exit System (EES) was set to launch on Nov. 10. However, EU home affairs commissioner Ylva Johansson on Thursday confirmed that the date is "no longer on the table,” multiple reports say.

Johansson says the commission does not have a new timeline for the start of the new system, but that it is now considering "a phased approach…not a big bang of all border crossing points at the same time".

UK transport operators last month were also reportedly briefed by officials to expect delays to the previously-announced November rollout.  

EES is a biometric system which will use digital photographs and fingerprints for registering travellers from non-EU countries, including the UK, when they cross the EU’s external border. It will apply to both short-stay visa holders and visa-exempt travellers.

Implementation of the system has encountered many delays in the last couple of years, largely due to tech issues.

Earlier this year, London’s mayor Sadiq Khan warned the EES would cause “chaos” for passengers on Eurostar services due to a lack of readiness.

EES is the first step towards the digitalization of EU borders, and must be in force prior to the introduction of the ETIAS travel system for non-EU visitors, which is due to go live in the first half of 2025.

ETIAS will require visitors from 60 visa-free countries, including the UK, to obtain a new electronic travel authorisation to enter 30 European countries. The fee for ETIAS will be €7 for those aged 18 to 70 and it will be valid for three years.

Similarly, the UK’s own Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) system – which already applies to nationals of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and UAE – will be expanded in two phases next year and, by April 2025, will apply to all visitors currently not requiring a visa.

The EU Justice and Home Affairs Council will meet next week to discuss the rollout of the EES.

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