British holidaymakers may experience 'temporary relief' from the European Union's new Entry/Exit System (EES) during the summer holidays, as the system continues to cause significant travel disruption. Since the EES was fully implemented on Friday, 10 April, travellers have faced queues of up to four hours at European airports, leading to missed flights and ruined holiday plans.
What is the EES?
The EES replaces manual passport stamping for Brits travelling to the Schengen zone. It requires all travellers to create a digital record and register biometric information, including fingerprints and a photograph. The system has been a source of mounting concern as the busy summer travel season approaches.
Potential Relief from Biometric Controls
An EU official has indicated that European airports may relax EES requirements until September. Uku Särekanno, Deputy Executive Director of Frontex, which helps manage the EU's external borders, stated: 'The biometric registration, taking fingerprints and facial images, is probably the most challenging part of the entry-exit system rollout.'
Särekanno added: 'We have until the end of the summer, the possibility during the tourism season to lift the biometric controls or the biometric registration temporarily. If there is a peak hour, you see that there are hundreds of people queuing, their queues are getting too long, then member states still have the possibility to lift biometric registration.'
He emphasised that this is a 'temporary relief and is ending in September'. At ABTA's Travel Matters conference, Särekanno also noted that there is 'no intention' of any further easing of EES regulations, as processes are expected to be 'aligned by that time'.
Long-Term Stabilisation Expected
While summer relief is possible, it may take up to two years for the EES to operate 'as smooth as possible'. Särekanno explained: 'We expect that the situation will stabilise in one or two years, because the most challenging part is the first enrolment.' He added: 'Within the next two-year period, we will see that the first enrolment will be done. A significant number of visitors will not have to enrol by metrics anymore, so it will be a big relief for them.'
Issues with Repeated Biometric Registration
Some British tourists have reported being asked to provide biometric details again, even after doing so on a previous visit. Särekanno acknowledged this issue, stating at the ABTA conference that it 'needs to be corrected' by the border crossing point of the member state. He said: 'We are on it, and we are trying to ensure that there is a coherent approach to the border procedures. In these circumstances, we are putting a lot of effort into that to ensure that the practices will be harmonised.'
