The EU’s new digital borders system is due to start in five weeks affecting, to some extent, most people travelling into and out of France – but how realistic is this launch timeframe?
Several readers have expressed confusion over the start date of the European Entry/Exit System (EES), which has already been delayed several times, from an originally planned start in spring 2022.
The new system will digitally log the entry and exit dates to/from the Schengen area of non-EU/EEA/Swiss citizens who are visiting a country or countries in the area. Non-EU/EEA/Swiss citizens who are residents in the EU/EEA/Switzerland are however exempt.
In theory, this will remove the need to stamp passports or manually calculate whether someone has respected the EU’s 90/180 days rule for permitted visits (without a long-stay visa).
There are concerns that, especially on first use, the process will be time-consuming as visitors will have to have a facial image and fingerprints (‘biometric data’) taken and entered into a database, as well as personal information from their passport. They are also expected to have to submit answers to questions about their trip.
The process is hoped to be quicker on subsequent entries and exits, as the person will already have a database entry, and only one kind of biometric data will have to be taken again.
Some ports and airports will use ‘pre-registration’ equipment – self-use ‘kiosks’ or tablet computers – to provide some of the details prior to arrival at border guards’ booths. In other cases, such as at smaller regional airports, everything will be completed at the booth. The European Commission is also working on a pre-registration app called Quick Border, but it is not expected to be ready to use in France this year.
While neither EU/EEA/Swiss citizens nor foreign people living full-time in Schengen countries such as France are officially affected there are concerns that they could get caught up in longer queues.
This is especially the case for non-EU citizens who are not officially allowed to join ‘EU’ queues, but it could also affect ‘EU’ queues where there are accompanying non-EU family members who need to be logged into EES.
We have a guide to the European Entry/Exit System and the related Etias scheme, priced €4.99.
When is it due to start?
In a speech to the EU’s IT agency EU-Lisa – which has been developing the EU-wide IT infrastructure for EES – European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson said: “After intense dialogues with member states, with you, with the different stakeholders – I have decided that the Entry/Exit System will enter into operation on November 10.
“Different steps are legally required before the Commission could take the formal decision, but I am proud to reveal today that November 10 is the target day.
“…November 10. That will be a great day. Entry/Exit System Day.”
She also said: “There may have been times you believed it would never happen. But it is going to happen. Everything is coming together.”
Despite this, no date has been published officially on its websites for the public.
The main EES website still just states that it will start “in the second half of 2024”.
A European Commission spokesperson told The Connexion: “The Commission is working with the member states and EU-Lisa towards the target date of November this year for the Entry/Exit system - and Etias [an online application for pre-approval to enter the Schengen area] is foreseen to be ready to enter into operation in Spring 2025.
“The Commission remains in close contact with member states supporting them to be ready to operate.”
Eurostar ‘awaiting formal update’
A Eurostar spokesman said: “As of now, we are still awaiting a formal update from the European Commission.
“The last we heard was that further postponements would not be considered and that EES will be launched in autumn 2024.
“... In any case, we (Eurostar) will be ready for the launch. We are focused on our own readiness which is on track and cannot comment on others.”
Could it be later?
As the Commission is not, in public communications, holding itself to more than “a target date of November”, it seems possible it will be later than November 10.
‘November’ is already more precise than previous Commission statements that it would happen in “the autumn” (this lasts until December 21), though we note references to a “target” date, as opposed to a certain start.
Several transport industry bodies, including the Union des Aéroports Français (UAF) – say they understand that November 17 – one week later, is also possible, if all parties are not ready for November 10. Either of the two are the “most likely” start dates according to American international immigration lawyers Fragomen.
EU states have been told to report on their readiness to the European Commission. The Guardian said it understood that France, Germany and The Netherlands have reported not being ready. The Commission, however, declined to confirm this when we asked.
We have been told by both the UAF and the managing body for Brittany’s ports that they are concerned over the lack of sufficient testing for the pre-registration equipment before the planned November 10 start.
A director for Ports de Normandie said no tests have been done, partly due to delays in equipment being ready and partly due to the Olympics. The UAF told us tests could not be undertaken from May to September on kiosks at Paris airports due to the games.
Read more: Q&A with Normandy Ports director on new EU border plans
So, it is possible that there will be a further delay, but we understand everything will be done to launch at least in the month of November.
November will also be a relatively quiet time for the start, as opposed to nearer the end-of-year holidays – and extending further into 2025 could make it look as if it “will never happen” again…
It has been a long time coming – the current plans date from a ‘revised Smart Borders Package’ presented by the European Commission in April 2016 and fully adopted by the EU in 2017 – but this was itself just a rejigged version of a package adopted by the Commission in February 2013.
Will there be a ‘soft launch’?
The UK’s Home Office, which is involved in preparations as several French border checks take place on UK soil, has stated that the EU is looking at a relatively ‘soft launch’, involving ‘precautionary measures’ for the first six months, such as not taking biometric data from all passengers at busy times.
A Home Office minister, Seema Malhotra, told UK MPs: “We are engaging with the European Commission and member states to lobby for a more pragmatic approach to the application of precautionary measures – these are reactive measures proposed by the EU for the first six months of EES implementation to be used as a safeguard in the case of excessive waiting times, eg. collecting the biometric data of a reduced number of travellers.
“We believe that extending these beyond six months would improve throughput at the EU’s external border should queues form during peak periods in early 2025 due to the additional processing time required for EES.”
