BRUSSELS Oct. 10 () –
The European Commission is studying how to make the application of the new intelligent border system that will allow the automated registration of the passage of people more flexible after verifying that the delays in the preparation of Germany, the Netherlands and France will not allow its entry into force on November 10, as provided for in the regulation.
“The date of November 10 is no longer on the table, I hope it will be as soon as possible but there is no new deadline at the moment,” announced Interior Commissioner Ylva Johansson at a press conference in Luxembourg at the end. of a meeting of EU interior ministers.
The Entry and Exit System (EES) was to come into force from November 10 on the entire external border of the European Union, but France, Germany and the Netherlands, which represent about 40% of passenger traffic from across the EU, have reported that they are not prepared to meet the schedule.
In addition to the delays in the implementation of the system on the borders of these three countries, the discussion in Luxembourg has made it possible to confirm that according to the evaluation of the European Agency for the Operational Management of Large Information Systems (eu-LISA) there are also doubts on the “resilience” of the system.
For this reason, the commissioner has announced the convening of a technical meeting next week in Brussels to evaluate the situation and find a solution that allows a progressive application of the automated registration of entries and exits, starting with the border points where it is already possible.
The EES regulations, however, do not provide for this flexibility and therefore a legal analysis is first necessary to clarify whether there is a legal basis for a gradual approach, explained the Swedish socialist, at the end of what will probably be her last Council of Ministers of Interior of the EU since it will not be repeated with the new European Commission.
Thus, Johansson has defended that although the legal framework does not explicitly provide for it, she is in favor of making the entry into force more flexible to allow a gradual introduction and “in parallel to the old system” to “avoid risks if something does not work as planned.” has foreseen”.
In the case of Spain, government sources consulted by Europa Press point out that “everything is ready” on its external border to begin the application of the EES system at the time determined by the European Commission.
Precisely this Wednesday, in statements to the press, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares, warned the United Kingdom of the urgency of an agreement on Gibraltar because if it was not achieved before November 10, new controls would be introduced. border crossings at the Gate due to the entry into force of the new EU system.
The EES system will automatically record the name, some biometric data and the dates and places of entry and exit of travelers crossing the external borders of the European Union. The system will replace traditional control methods such as manually stamping passports and aims to reinforce control over the passage of non-EU citizens.
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