The European Union Council and Parliament have agreed to gradually roll out the Entry/Exit System (EES) at the bloc’s external borders.
The phased introduction of the new border system will allow the member states to benefit from security features and will give the border authorities and transport industry more time for adjusting to the new procedure, Schengen.News reports.
Thanks to this agreement, member states will be able to deploy the new border management system for registering the entry and exit into the Schengen area of non-EU nationals. This is good news and will support our efforts to keep our borders safe.
Once the EES becomes operational, it will digitally register entries and exits, fingerprints and facial images, and data from the passports of non-EU nationals who are entering the bloc for short-term stays, regardless of whether they are eligible for visa-free entry or not.
The system will also allow member states to have real-time access to third-country travellers’ personal and travel history information to ensure that they are not overstaying in the Schengen Area or using fake identities.
Commenting on the agreement, the EU Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration, Magnus Brunner, said that the EES must be implemented as soon as possible. The same highlighted that the system will help the bloc to close gaps and strengthen mutual trust.
For the first time, we will have real-time, complete, and reliable information on who enters and leaves the Schengen Area. This will help us close gaps in the current system and strengthen mutual trust among the Member States.
This Is How Gradual Implementation Will Work
Under the new rules, the member states will be able to implement the EES gradually over a 180-day period, known as a transition period. The idea behind this timeframe is to prevent a simultaneous launch in all countries from compromising the new system.
The phased implementation will require the member states to record ten per cent of the border crossings in the system by the 30th day.
By the 90th day, the member states must register 35 per cent of the border crossings and operate the EES with biometric functionalities, and by the end of the 180-day period, the member states should reach full registration of all individuals.
The progressive rollout of the EES will not be mandatory. The member states that prefer to roll out the system all at once from day one can do so.
An official date for the start of the progressive deployment of the EES is yet to be determined, although Minister Siemoniak previously said that “October is our horizon”, suggesting that the EU is aiming to introduce the system this autumn.