Slated to come into force on 10 November, after countless delays, new reports suggest that it may be pushed back yet again.
Copyright Kirsty Wigglesworth/The AP/FIle
By Saskia O’Donoghue ~ EuroNews.com
Thursday marks a month before the EU’s post-Brexit Entry/Exit System (EES) was due to launch.
Slated to come into force on 10 November, after countless delays, new reports suggest that it may be pushed back yet again.
Back in August, the EU’s Home Affairs Commissioner, Ylva Johansson, appeared to confirm that the border checks would finally come into force.
“The moment is finally there. There may have been times you believed it will never happen,” Johansson declared triumphantly, “But it’s going to happen. Everything is coming together. We’re in the final testing phase. There is a real momentum now. Carriers, operators, train stations, airports, everyone is getting ready for the big day.”
But was everybody really getting ready? According to recent reports, multiple European countries have come forward to say their borders will not be ready, appealing for more time.
It could be that Johansson foresaw further delays – she said that she was putting in place a contingency plan, allowing for the implementation of EES one week later, on 17 November.
Whether the “official” launch date is on the 10th or the 17th, it still remains unclear whether it will actually go ahead.
In fact, diplomats in Brussels are said to be becoming increasingly sceptical about a deadline on either of those dates November. In recent days, they have indicated that the introduction of the system will likely be delayed once more, apparently due to issues related to IT infrastructure.
Euronews Travel understands that ministers in the EU are expected to discuss the future of the EES during a meeting in Luxembourg on Thursday.
What is behind the delay of the EU’s EES scheme?
In August, Johansson gave member states of the European Union until 5 September to provide the required declaration on their state of readiness.
Reports suggest that major travel hubs France, Germany and the Netherlands told the Commission that they would not be ready. Officials in those nations raised concerns about practical testing of the system in the field and whether the November launch date was feasible.
In September, sources in the UK said transport operators there were told by government officials to expect further delays.
Set to be one of the biggest changes for UK and other non-Schengen passport holders travelling to EU countries in decades, the EES was first slated to launch in 2022.
Since then, it’s faced numerous setbacks, blamed variously on IT issues and delays in installing automated barriers which will be required at all international land, maritime and air borders in the Schengen Area ahead of the launch. Some airports have said they needed to reinforce their floors to take the weight of the scanners passengers will have to pass through.
The EES, which will require non-EU citizens to have their fingerprints or photos taken before entering the Schengen area, was slated to be introduced last summer, after the delay from 2022.
France, though, called for a halt, expressing concerns that it might have a negative impact on the Rugby World Cup last autumn and the Paris Olympics this summer.
Officials listened to their concerns and rescheduled it for 6 October, but that was put on hold too, apparently due to concerns that congestion could disrupt school holiday visits into the EU from the UK and other non-EU countries.
France appears to remain concerned even now, with a specific focus on the port of Dover, where British and French border controls take place.
One source in France told the UK’s Guardian newspaper that a so-called “big bang” launch on 10 November is not feasible, suggesting that the phasing in of the EES over a year was far preferable.