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The EU is planning to create a Union-wide entry/exit digital border control system, EES in order to reduce identity fraud, facilitate visa processing and further reinforcing the EU’s approach to integrated border management for non-EU nationals. The EES will digitally record person’s name, travel document, biometric data (e.g. fingerprints and captured facial images) as well as the date and place of entry and exit.
Background
The Entry/Exit System, EES will replace the current system of passport stamping, providing reliable data on border crossings and allow for systematic detection of overstayers. The EES will thus modernise the management of the external borders and strengthen the security of the Schengen area – by reducing identity fraud and making it easier to identify visa overstayers. It will also allow the automation of border controls, progressively accelerating the checks at the external borders, facilitating travel and improving travelers’ experience.
The Entry/Exit System, EES is a key step to achieving a European digitalised border control, further reinforcing the EU’s approach to integrated border management. It is the cornerstone of the interoperability architecture, which will allow all border and security information systems to communicate together.
The Entry/Exit System (EES) is an automated IT system for registering non-EU nationals traveling for a short stay, each time they cross the external borders of about thirty European countries using the system.
More on EES in: https://travel-europe.europa.eu/ees/what-ees_en
For example, the EES as an automated IT system will register non-EU nationals who travel for a short stay, each time they cross the external borders of all EU member states and Schengen associated countries. The system will digitally record the person’s name, travel document, biometric data, such as fingerprints and captured facial images as well as the date and place of entry and exit; the EES will also record refusals of entry.
The cost to the EU budget of the EES implementation was foreseen to be €480.2 million over four years in the impact assessment of the EES Regulation.
Requirements for travelers in Europe: ETIAS in a nutshell
The European Travel Information and Authorization System, ETIAS is an entry requirement for visa-exempt nationals travelling to any of the nominated 30 European countries; the authorization is linked to a traveler’s passport. It is valid for up to three years or until the passport expires, whichever comes first; hence, by getting a new passport, a person need to get a new ETIAS travel authorization.
With a valid ETIAS travel authorization one can enter the territory of all European countries as often as you want for short-term stays – normally for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. However, it does not guarantee entry: when a person arrives, a border guard will ask to see traveler’s passport and other documents as well as verify a person meets the entry conditions.
More in: https://travel-europe.europa.eu/etias/what-etias_en
Progressive approach and benefits
For example, the EU member states can start benefiting from the advantages and capabilities of the system from day one. In addition, it offers them flexibility to adjust their procedures, better prepare their borders and manage the flows of travelers.
Travelers will progressively experience improved and more efficient digital border checks, automated procedures and reduced waiting times at the borders.
Border authorities and the transport industry will also have more time to adjust to the new procedures.
Finally, this proposal will preserve the efforts and investments in infrastructure, technology and resources to prepare for the EES.
Conclusion
The new proposal introduces the possibility to temporarily suspend the EES operations in case of technical failures or other disruptions at the borders. Thus, these temporarily suspending EES shall mean stopping electronic registration of travelers’ data in the system, either by not recording their biometric data or not recording their data at all. By allowing for temporary suspension, the risk of long waiting times at the borders will be substantially reduced. However in no circumstances the security system is compromised since the authorities will need to carry out the regular border checks as presently performed.
When the proposal is adopted and enters into force, the Commission will decide on the date of the progressive start of the EES, after having received all declarations of readiness from all EU member states.
Source: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/da/qanda_24_6223