Laurence Dollimore
THE EU’s long-awaited Entry/Exit System (EES) has been delayed once again due to major countries still not being prepared.
The automated computer system will apply to British and other ‘third-country’ nationals travelling to any of the 29 Schengen Area countries, including Spain.
It will scan their passports instead of stamping them and will automatically track the number of days they have spent in the EU.
The move is to avoid people from non-EU countries overstaying their typical 90 in 180 day limit.
However, despite being due to roll out on November 10, it has been suspended indefinitely, with no new start date announced.
Sources said major countries, particularly France, Germany and the Netherlands, are simply not ready to implement the system.
Ylva Johansson, the Commissioner for Home Affairs, announced the delay at the end of a meeting of EU interior ministers on Thursday.
She said that November 10 ‘is no longer on the table’, adding: “I hope we can start as soon as possible but there’s no new timeline so far.
“This also depends on the legal assessment that we will do and we’re working on it right now.”
How will the Entry/Exit System work?
The EES will require non-EU citizens to scan their passports at self-service kiosks when entering and leaving the bloc.
However it won’t apply to EU residents, including British TIE holders in Spain.
While the system aims to improve security and reduce overstays, there are fears it could lead to long queues at border controls – especially at Dover and Gibraltar.
The system will collect biometric data, including facial scans and fingerprints, and record entry and exit times, making it much harder for visitors to overstay the 90-days-in-180 rule.
British government agencies and travel industry representatives have previously warned of potential chaos at border crossings.
While authorities claim to be working to minimise disruption, travellers are advised to allow extra time for border checks when planning their trips.
The EES is just one part of a wider overhaul of border controls.
From 2025, travellers will also need to apply for the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) before their trip.
For the price of €7, this additional permission to enter the Schengen zone is likely to add to processing times. The ETIAS will be valid for three years, or until the owner’s passport expires.
Both developments have been greeted with grave misgivings in Gibraltar, which will likely see its fluid border with Spain grind to a halt.
The tiny territory is dependent on 15,000 Spain-based workers crossing the border each and every day.
The government of Gibraltar announced in the summer that Spain had already started building the EES infrastructure at the border as hopes of a post-Brexit border deal dwindle.
