As we reported in our 05 September 2024 post, EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES) Goes Into Effect, the European Union announced that its Entry/Exit System had a definite launch date of 10 November 2024. Well, it turns out the “definite” launch date was, in fact, NOT definite.
Instead, Ylva Johansson, the EU Home Affairs Commissioner, announced the EU’s planned Entry/Exit System (EES) for travellers outside the Schengen Area has been postponed once again. Just a few weeks ago, she said with confidence that it would come into force on 10 November – or 17 November, as a backup. Now, there is no official date for the launch and the whole scheme appears to have been plunged into chaos. While Commissioner Johansson said the ambitious electronic border plan would absolutely be in place, it’s now not likely to come into force until 2025 or possibly beyond.
A Brief History
EES was first presented on 06 April 2016 as part of the EU’s revised Smart Borders Package to help prevent cross-border crime and terrorism. The automated system is designed to register non-EU visitors digitally across all 29 Schengen countries, eliminating the need for physical passport stamps. Originally slated to take effect in 2022, it has been delayed numerous times as many EU countries struggled with integrating their border systems with the new Central Data Base.
What Caused The Latest Delay Of The EES Launch?
Speaking at a meeting of EU interior ministers on Thursday, 14 November, Commissioner Johannson said, “10 November is no longer on the table. 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”. She added that there are “some concerns when it comes to the resilience of the system”. As an alternative, she proposed that the EU could potentially introduce the EES in a phased manner “with a little step by step going into the system, not a ‘Big Bang’ of all border crossing points at the same time”. Johansson also noted that Germany, France and the Netherlands had declared their unreadiness for the EES. France had previously requested the EES be postponed until after the 2024 Paris Olympics.
What Happens Now
Most experts agree the EES will go ahead at some point in the near future, although the launch date is now entirely up in the air. It is doubtful the system will be scrapped entirely since it is intended to give Europol, border police and visa authorities reliable data on border crossings. But, for now, the EES and ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorisation System) are both delayed.
You can learn more about the EES System here.
In the meantime, make sure your passport is up to date and allow sufficient time to proceed through passport control check points.
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