The gradual introduction of a new electronic system that will register the entry and exit of citizens of third countries from the European Union will begin in October, and one of the inevitable consequences, at least initially, will be large crowds at the entrance to the Union, Croatian Interior Minister Davor Božinović said on Friday in Luxembourg.
After Germany, France and the Netherlands said they were ready to start applying the new exit/entry system (EES), the conditions were met for the start of gradual application.
“Today we found that no member state has any reservations, so we are moving towards the implementation of the new system in October, which will significantly change the method of entry into the European Union and the Schengen area,” said for Hina news agency Minister Božinović after the meeting of foreign ministers who met in Luxembourg on Friday.
The Commission is expected to soon propose that implementation begin on October 12 or 19.
The EES is a common electronic system that will record and store information on the date, time and place of entry and exit of non-EU citizens who cross the EU borders, thus definitively abandoning the stamping of passports.
It will automatically calculate the duration of authorized stay of those third-country nationals and issue alerts to EU member states about the expiration of the authorized stay period.
It will apply to people who need a short-term visa and to those coming from non-EU visa-exempt countries.
EES will store identity data, travel documents and biometric data, which will be kept for three years for those travelers who comply with the rules on short-term stay and five years for those who exceed the duration of the permitted stay.
This means that when entering for the first time, everyone will have to give the prints of four fingers of the right hand and take a photo.
At least initially, this will significantly lengthen the wait at the external borders of the European Union.
At least two months before the start of application, the Commission will launch a campaign to inform the public in non-EU member states about what will be waiting for their citizens upon entering the EU at all border crossings.
“The crowds will be bigger and I’m not sure that it will be possible to avoid them,” said Bozinović.
Gradual implementation can last a maximum of six months, after which the new system will have to be applied at all border crossings and for all passengers who are not citizens of the European Union.
In the beginning, the possibility of temporarily interrupting the use of the EES is foreseen in case of technical problems or large crowds at the borders. A temporary suspension means that the electronic registration of passengers is suspended and the classic method of control is switched to.
On the other hand, adds the Croatian minister, the introduction of the new system will be a key step for the abolition of controls between member states that have been introduced in recent years.
“The purpose is for Europe to have complete insight into who is coming to the European Union. This is important for the security of all member states, but it is also an important step in returning to the Schengen rules that were valid before internal controls were introduced at the borders between member states, and this may be the first concrete step that leads to the return of Schengen without internal controls,” Božinović said.
