A coalition of nine European countries asked Brussels to extend the application of extraordinary flexibility measures within the Entry/Exit System (EES), with the explanation that the European Union is not yet ready to abolish the existing protection mechanisms.
In a joint letter dated July 7, which he had access to POLITICOBelgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal and Switzerland told the European Commissioner for Internal Affairs Magnus Brunner (Magnus Brunner) that the first months of application of the system showed “significant difficulties” that should not be underestimated.
The ministers reiterated that they support the new Entry and Exit System, but ask the European Commission to allow member states to continue using the built-in emergency mechanism after September 6, 2026, when its application, according to the current rules, should expire.
An extraordinary congestion reduction mechanism
This mechanism allows border services to, in exceptional cases, temporarily suspend fingerprinting and face scanning of travelers in order to reduce congestion at border crossings, while simultaneously registering all persons entering or exiting the Schengen area.
In the letter, the ministers also requested written guarantees from the European Commission that a decision on this issue will be made before the end of the current flexibility period.
European Commission spokesman Markus Lammert said that the Commission welcomes the “express commitment” of the signatory states to the full implementation of the EES and the systematic registration of all passengers who are not citizens of the European Union.
He reminded that the current legislation already contains a certain level of flexibility, including the possibility of temporarily suspending the collection of biometric data during the summer, and added that the Commission is in “close and constructive contact” with a small number of member states that have difficulties at certain border crossings.
“There is a strong common will for the system to function successfully at all border crossings,” said Lamert.
The industry warns of long queues
The letter comes as airports, airlines and ferry operators warn that the new system is causing long queues and operational difficulties during the summer tourist season.
Industry representatives believe that the technical and operational problems will probably not be fixed until the beginning of September.
For the time being, the European Commission has not indicated that it plans to extend the validity of the existing flexibility measures after September 6, nor to maintain the emergency mechanism more broadly, reports Independent newspaper.
