Nine European Union countries, including France, Greece, Italy and Portugal, are asking for more time to fully implement the new EES entry-exit system, particularly for taking fingerprints and biometric data of citizens from countries outside the EU.
The new system aims to modernise border controls in the Schengen area, but its implementation has faced difficulties at some of Europe's busiest airports and border crossings. Germany, Malta, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Belgium are also among the countries that have requested additional time to complete implementation.
The EES was scheduled to enter into full force on September 6, after several previous delays. The system was approved by the EU in 2017 and officially launched in October last year, with the aim of becoming fully operational in April.
Technical problems and the risk of long queues at tourist airports have forced some countries to seek a more gradual approach. Spain, which had problems during the early stages of implementation, is now fully implementing the system.
According to EU sources, the system has registered around 200 million entries, while around 70,000 people have been denied entry to the Schengen area. The number of people denied entry has increased from around 43,700 in June.
The EES records the biometric data of non-EU travellers and is used to identify people who overstay. For British citizens, for example, the system is linked to a limit of 90 days within a 180-day period.
European authorities say the system has also helped detect people using forged documents. The combination of fingerprints and facial images enables the identification of individuals trying to travel with different passports.
However, implementation is not uniform at all border crossings. Biometric data collection has started at some points, including the Eurostar terminal in Brussels and the port of Antwerp, while some other airports have not yet completed the process.
Large international hubs, such as Frankfurt Airport and Schiphol, are already collecting biometric data, while some smaller airports have encountered difficulties due to limited capacity.
EU sources report that only 12 out of around 1,500 border crossings continue to have significant problems with the implementation of the system.
One of the main concerns is related to small airports, where the number of passengers can increase significantly during the tourist season. In one case cited by the EU, about 3,000 passengers could arrive within an hour, while the border crossing had only four booths for biometric registration.
The aviation industry has also warned of problems. The International Air Transport Association has previously called for the system to be completely suspended, arguing that delays have caused passengers to miss connecting flights in countries such as Spain, Italy, Greece and Belgium.
Ryanair has also warned of long queues and chaos at several airports, including Malaga and Palma.
France faces a unique situation at the port of Dover, where French border checks are carried out on British territory before travel to France. The collection of biometric data at this point has not yet been implemented.
