Plans for how EES digital border checks will be ‘phased in’ explained
The EU Commission is aiming for a ‘progressive’ start for the delayed system
Pre-registration booths like this one will be used in many airports and ports
Thales
The European Commission has given details of its plans for a ‘phased in’ or ‘progressive’ start to its new digital border checks.
Its proposal is that the start of operations, now expected in 2025, will not happen at all external Schengen border crossing points at once.
Instead, there will be a ‘progressive’ start over six months.
This means that all member states will start to operate the systems “from day one” at at least one border crossing point (this includes international airports and stations, ferry terminals etc).
Read more: EES - what are next steps for EU’s new digital border checks?
The data of at least 10% of ‘third country’ (non-EU/EEA/Swiss) short-stay visitors crossing external Schengen borders into or out of a given EU country would have to be registered into EES from this start date.
The number registered would then gradually increase so that all of them are being registered by the end of the six-month period.
In parallel, passports will continue being stamped at all borders during these six months, the commission says.
EES is intended to help the EU keep better track of who is coming and going into the Schengen passport-free zone and respect of the 90/180 days rule for visa-free visits. On first entry, a record will be made into a central EU database of third country visitors’ identification details along with biometric data (facial image and fingerprint scan).
The system will then log the dates of subsequent entries and exits. Passport stamps will eventually be phased out.
The commission’s “progressive start” proposals – which has yet to be ratified by the European Council and Parliament – also include:
“The possibility to temporarily suspend the system in case of disruptions” or “technical failures”.
Allowing member states to “skip the collection of biometric data in exceptional circumstances", helping them to “tackle excessive waiting times at the borders” (in this case other basic details on travellers could still be collected but not facial images or fingerprint scans).
What will happen now?
The proposals will require a change to the regulations governing EES, which will need to be adopted by the council and parliament and to come into force.
The commission says it will then decide on the date of the “progressive start”, once it has declarations of readiness from all member states.
No estimated timeline has been given for how long this may take, however so far the commission has taken the lead on the EES project and the council already gave its approval, in principle, to a “phased approach” at a meeting in October.
Also at this meeting, it was confirmed that France, and two other countries, had reported not being ready at that stage.
Read more: France one of countries officially not ready for EES – delays expected
Barring further unforeseen difficulties, we assume “day one” will likely come in the first half of 2025, with full operation six months after that.
The commission says that each state will also have to work out a plan for how it will roll out the system during the first six months, and make monthly reports to itself and EU-Lisa (the agency in charge of large-scale IT projects).
Further information is expected in due course at the official EES website and the EU says there will be an “information campaign” before launch. The EU recently admitted it would not happen this year.
Read more: Confirmed - EU states EES border changes will not start this year
People with an EU/EEA/Swiss nationality or those with residency cards or long-stay visas for EU countries will not be affected by EES, but it is feared they could get caught up in longer queues.
