France reported to be asking for new border system delay
Three countries are said to have requested more time, saying they are not ready for the current November 10 launch
There are also concerns about a lack of testing
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The EU’s new border security ‘Entry Exit System’ (EES) may be delayed again after three countries - including France - are reported to not be ready for the current November 10 launch.
France, Germany, and the Netherlands have told the EU that the new system will not be fully implemented at their border entries by the current launch date, claim sources to the UK’s The Guardian.
They are also concerned that the system will not have time to be thoroughly tested before the launch, which one French source quoted as saying the new biometric checks – including facial photos and the taking of fingerprints – had not been trialled enough in live situations.
It comes as a director of Ports de Normandie, Jérôme Chauvet, told The Connexion earlier this month that no tests of the new EES systems pre-registration kiosks and tablet computers had been carried out.
Read more: Q&A with Normandy Ports director on new EU border plans
The three nations are however reported to remain “fully supportive” of the EES and its associated checks, but do not believe the launch date is viable.
UK transport operators were also said to have been briefed by the UK government to expect delays to the launch of the service last week.
Eurostar said they have not been briefed about a change of date, and are working towards a November 10 launch.
The EU has not commented on the situation, and contacted by The Connexion said they are preparing a response to the situation.
The latest official information from the bloc remains that the EES will launch this autumn, with the specific date of November 10 having been announced by the EU's home affair's commissioner, Ylva Johansson, in a speech to the EU's IT agency EU-Lisa.
EU member states are reported to have been asked by the commissioner to declare their readiness for the system by September 5.
Can the EES system be launched in phases?
France in particular is said to be concerned over delays at Dover where checks will take place due to the presence of French border control authorities at the port.
A local authority along the UK’s south coast has said delays of 14 hours are possible for cars and coaches in a worst-case scenario after the system launches.
Read more: Dover, Eurostar, Eurotunnel: UK pledges funds to ease border changes
This, together with other issues at airports, means an all-in-one ‘big bang’ launch of the system on November 10 was not realistic, a French source told The Guardian.
The country may be looking towards the scheme being implemented in phases over the coming year, to prevent the system from being overwhelmed on day one.
There has previously been talk of some of the requirements – such as the taking of fingerprints – being temporarily lifted during periods of saturation, particularly at French border posts in the UK.
This could see a ‘soft launch’ of the EES at the UK border potentially lasting until summer 2025.
Read more: UK wants EES ‘soft launch’ measures to be extended into summer 2025
However, another source said the system would only work if all border posts were operational and recording every single entry and exit of a passenger.
Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport is among the EU's busiest borders for air travellers, while the French borders on UK soil (to board ferries at Dover, and to use the Eurostar and Eurotunnel services) represent some of its busiest land crossings.
