November 10 start date for EES would have been 'utter carnage,' UK Lords told

The leader of Dover District Council says the council was “extremely pleased” by the latest delay to the EU’s new borders system, due to unreadiness for the planned November 10 start.

“We would not have been ready on the 10th. It would have been complete and utter carnage," Councillor Kevin Mills told the UK’s House of Lords Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) committee.

“There is no point in introducing a system so integral to this country, particularly the town I represent, unless everywhere is ready to go, so we are more than happy that there has been a delay.”

It comes as the start of the new digital borders system, which has already been put off several times, has apparently been delayed indefinitely after three countries, including France, told the European Commission they were not ready.

Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson had confirmed news of the countries’ unreadiness on Friday October 11 after a meeting of the EU’s JHA Council. She also referred to concerns about the “resilience” of the central database system to which non-EU visitors’ data will be sent from Schengen area external border points (airports, ports, stations…) across the EU as well from several sites in southern England.

Read more: France one of countries officially ‘not ready’ for EES – delay expected 

A follow-up meeting was held between Commissioner Johansson and EU-Lisa (in charge of the computer systems), with a view to finding a way forward, including whether it is legally possible to ‘phase in’ the start at some border points and not others.

EU-Lisa has told us that no decision was taken at the meeting and the Commission is continuing a legal assessment so as to decide on the next steps. 

The UK government this week updated its online Living in France guide to say that “the exact date that EES will be introduced has not been confirmed”. It formerly said the system was set to launch in autumn 2024. 

There has so far been no announcement by the EU that its official working timeline has changed from “autumn 2024”, which was approved by the European Council last year, however, Ms Johansson stated that the November 10 ‘target date’ she had announced in August is now “off the table”.

Read more: New EU border control checks to launch November 10 – official

At the House of Lords meeting, JHA committee chairman Lord Foster said: “We had hoped that introduction would take place on November 10, but for various reasons the EU decided to delay it for a time and, frankly, we have no idea when it will be.”

Roads, parks, tablets… 'not ready'

As reported in a transcript of the meeting*, Mr Mills of Dover Council also told the committee: “I do not think that currently the road networks are ready. I do not believe that Dover Harbour Board has the iPads that are much discussed. 

“There has been no live trial of the technology with Dover Harbour Board. It has yet to backfill the western docks for the coaches, although that is happening.

“None of the infrastructure and new technology is currently ready.”

The council has also had no update from the Department for Transport as to the creation of new car or lorry parks intended to “take traffic off the road,” he added. 

Getlink (Eurotunnel) and Eurostar, whose representatives were also present, expressed more confidence.

Gareth Williams of Eurostar said: “We would have been ready on the 10th. All the equipment was in place, the teams were ready, communications were prepared, but if the data we are collecting cannot be passed to the EU systems things cannot proceed.”

John Keefe of Getlink said: “We are disappointed it has been delayed. We were ready; we had all our technology and infrastructure in place, we had our processes worked through.” 

Good support from UK and French governments

Mr Williams also stated that there had been good support from, and communication between, the UK Home Office and French Interior Ministry. 

Communications between governments and the EU/EU-Lisa had, however, been more “challenging”, he said. “If they do not have certainty themselves and do not have a decision to work with, there is nothing they can communicate.”

He added: “What lies behind the latest delay is the weakness of the test environment with the EU systems, which did not give the member states the kind of confidence, which we all know is necessary, that the systems will communicate properly and will be robust and reliable.”

* The JHA Committee notes that the meeting transcript is officially as yet 'uncorrected' because the lords and those reporting to them have not yet had a chance to correct the record of what was said.