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the eu will launch the "strictest entry and exit system", many countries including germany and france are worried

2024-09-30

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[global times comprehensive report] according to a report by the british financial times on the 28th, germany, france and the netherlands told the eu that they are not yet ready to implement the eu’s digital border inspection system, also known as the entry-exit system (ees). several airlines and airports have also warned that if the untested system is put into use within six weeks, it will cause chaos for passengers.

according to reports, many major eu member states hopeeuropean commissionreconsidering its ees plan to launch on november 10th. the system is considered one of the biggest ever changes to eu border management procedures. the ees will require all non-eu citizens (including british tourists) to register their personal details, including fingerprints and facial images, with airport immigration when they first visit an eu country, as well as their personal entry and exit into the eu and schengen countries. the system will replace manual stamps in passports.

the ees will require all non-eu citizens to register their personal details, including fingerprints and facial images, with immigration authorities at the airport when visiting an eu country for the first time. source: foreign media

the german interior ministry said it was mainly concerned that the central computer system overseen by eu-lisa (the eu agency that operates and manages large it systems in the fields of freedom, security and justice) "still lacks the necessary stability and functionality." germany, france and the netherlands account for 40% of the passenger traffic affected by the ees, and the system "has not yet been able to, and remains unable to implement, final, nationwide testing." a spokesman for the relevant eu institutions said that the european commission is responsible for setting the timetable, but some countries hope to consider other alternatives, such as trial operation of ees in pilot areas in the early stage.

compared with germany, the british government is worried that the launch of the new system will affect the normal operation of eurostar high-speed trains, because passengers need to register in the ees system when passing through french customs. one transport industry executive said they had seen modeling showing border queue times across the eu would increase by 30% or even 100% after the new scheme is implemented.

in addition to the concerns of various governments, some industries that may be affected have also raised objections to the launch of the new system. jankovic, head of airports council international in europe, is concerned that the new rules have not yet been tested in practice. he said: "launching the system without comprehensive testing is a huge risk and may lead to widespread disruptions across the european air transport network." urania, head of the european regional airlines association, also believes that the system should be the launch of ees has been postponed until full testing is completed and an application that allows visitors to register their details in advance is launched. she said: "if the ees is launched without addressing the serious concerns of many countries and people from all walks of life, there will be great risks and may lead to chaos at border crossings across europe."

according to reports, the eu first agreed to launch the ees seven years ago, but its launch time has been delayed many times. johnson, the commissioner responsible for internal affairs of the european commission, announced in august that the ees would be launched on november 10, and eu-lisa also announced that its computer system is ready. but with three major countries raising questions about the rollout date, some eu officials asserted it would be delayed again this time. an eu official said: "this is a huge project, and member states want to ensure that the entire system can operate normally." he added that governments are working hard to solve the final "technical difficulties." the european commission told the financial times that while the eu was working to launch border checks "as expected", rolling out the system was a "complex operation and the possibility of delays cannot be completely ruled out". (zhou yang)