EU countries’ borders return

The Civil Liberties Committee approved the plans to gradually implement The input-Iaire (EES) system at the EU’s external borders .

The deputies of the Commission for Civil Liberties have adopted a position project on the proposal to gradually launch the input-country system (EES) at the EU external borders with 54 votes for, 2 against and 10 abstentions. Once operationally, the system will record the data of third -country nationals, including biometric data, such as facial images and digital fingerprints, as they enter and exit the Schengen space with short -stay visas. This is intended to improve security, accelerate the process and reduce queues.

According to the proposed legislation, the Commission will decide when to start a period of 180 days when the EU countries will begin the progressive implementation of the EES on their borders. On the first day of this period, at least 10% of the border crossing points should be registered in the new system.

In the amendments at the Commission’s proposal, the Commission’s MEP emphasizes that the Member States should be free to decide whether to implement the system gradually or simultaneously. They propose that if the EU countries opt for the implementation of EES in stages, then they should benefit from more flexibility in reaching certain stages.

European deputies also want to include emergency procedures for the central EES system and recommend that neither the beginning nor the end of the gradual launch period will coincide with the peak travel seasons, ie June-August and December-February.

After the vote, the rapporteur Assita Kanko (ECR, Belgium) said: « The purpose of the entry-country system is to make the EU citizens more secure. In the eight years since the adoption of EES law, the security threats have increased, which means that the system is now more important. Unfortunately, the system is not yet operational, because all of the Member States are still prepared for this system »

The following steps

The committee voted for the authorization of the negotiations with the Council on the final form of the legislation with 60 votes for, 3 against and 3 abstentions. The Project of negotiation position will be announced at a future plenary session. If no objections are raised, negotiations can start.

The input system (EES) is one of the EU interoperable databases for border management and security. Once it is fully operational, the physical stamping of the passports will be replaced with entrances to the EES, to be accessible for real -time consultation by other Schengen Member States, in accordance with their security needs. EES was developed by the European Union Agency for Operational Management of Large IT systems in the space of freedom, security and justice (EU-Lisa).

The system will mark the first time that biometric data, including digital fingerprints and facial images, are systematically collected at external EU borders. Expected to reduce violations of entry rules.