The EU is preparing measures to address border queues through a new entry system
On Tuesday, July 7, the European Commission will hold a meeting with experts from EU member states. The main goal is to fine-tune the new EU entry system in order to reduce lines and delays during border control.
The European Commission will discuss the shortcomings and opportunities for improving the new Entry/Exit System (EES) in the EU on July 7.
“The meeting will take place tomorrow. It is a technical-level meeting with officials from the Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs (DG HOME),” Lammerth said.
He added that European Commissioner for Home Affairs Magnus Brunner is simultaneously “strengthening his contacts with ministers in the relevant member states to determine exactly what kind of support is needed.”
The spokesperson noted that the new system has been implemented at 1,500 border crossing points across 29 EU countries.
To date, the new system has recorded nearly 110 million registered entries and exits. That’s more than 2 million entries and exits per week.
“Most of the challenges faced at certain airports do not relate to the Entry/Exit System (EES) itself, but rather to structural challenges that existed even before the new system was introduced,” Lammer explained.
According to him, some airports, for example, lack staff; in others, the infrastructure is not ready; and in still others, there is insufficient space for new technical facilities. The airport’s overall throughput capacity must also be taken into account.
“Frontex (the European Border and Coast Guard Agency—‘EP’) is ready to deploy personnel to the busiest airports… And Frontex will also be ready to help implement a new pre-registration app that was developed for all member states,” said a European Commission spokesperson.
Regarding the app, which allows citizens to pre-register online, the European Commission singled out Sweden for having successfully implemented it.
Marcus Lammerth also noted that “when situations of exceptionally high traffic arise at a specific border crossing point, it is possible to temporarily suspend the collection of biometric data.”
According to a “EP” correspondent in Brussels, European Commission spokesperson Markus Lammerth made this statement on July 6.
Earlier reports indicated that bus lines at the Ukrainian-Polish border were again reaching 8–12 hours due to infrastructure repair work. As of June 25, the Polish side is preparing measures to resolve the situation and reduce waiting times for passenger transport.
Every day, about 100 people are denied permission to leave Ukraine, according to the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine.
