According to the available information of the European Commission, no member state of the European Union has so far made a decision to suspend the entry/exit system, known as EES, but it is a question of the possibility of applying temporary relief in special cases, i.e. when the waiting time at border crossings would become too long due to extremely dense traffic – said Feni from the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MUP) of the Republic of Croatia.
The Ministry of Interior of Croatia clarified that this possibility is defined by the European legal framework, that is, by the Regulation of the European Parliament and the Council on the establishment of an entry/exit system.
As they stated, a certain level of flexibility is foreseen, which may include temporary deviations from the taking of biometric data, i.e. fingerprints and facial images, but with the obligation to scan the travel document and record the time of entry into the EU member state.
“The mentioned model can be implemented in a time-limited scope, a maximum of six hours in extraordinary circumstances that lead to such dense traffic that the waiting time at the border crossing becomes too long. This specifically means the creation of an EES personal file without excluding biometrics,” stated the Ministry of Interior of Croatia.
They emphasized that, according to the available information from the European Commission, no member state has so far made a decision on the suspension of the EES. Instead, it is about a possible relief of not collecting and checking biometric data in special cases.
The Ministry of Interior of Croatia points out that, as in previous years, during this summer too, occasionally increased traffic and congestion can be expected on significant traffic routes towards border crossings.
They note that increased waiting times in peak loads at certain border crossings existed even before the introduction of the EES system, especially during holidays and holidays, and that they are not new.
According to them, they are the result of several factors.
When it comes to the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina, the MoI of Croatia points to infrastructural limitations, especially along the Sava River, where there are narrow bridges with one entry and one exit lane, which occasionally creates so-called bottlenecks and reduces the flow of border traffic.
As additional factors, they cite the infrastructure on the BiH side, as well as the constant increase in border traffic towards neighboring third countries.
The Croatian Ministry of Interior confirms that the use of the EES system can occasionally cause additional traffic slowdowns during peak loads at road border crossings, given that a person must enter and exit the vehicle in order to register biometrically in the system.
However, they emphasize that this process is being speeded up by using manual EES readers, with which biometric data is taken at the entry and exit lanes before the person arrives at the control booth.
“In addition to stationary systems, mobile EES readers, EES kiosks, as well as e-gates are used at airports, when possible,” stated from the Ministry of Interior of Croatia.
The EES system foresees the electronic registration of entry and exit of citizens of third countries into the member states of the European Union, including recording of data from the travel document, time of entry and exit, as well as biometric data.
Its implementation is particularly important for citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina traveling to Croatia and other EU member states, especially during periods of increased summer traffic.
