The EU has announced a further delay to the implementation of its new system for biometric border checks, the Entry/Exit System (EES).
The BBC reports that the EES, which had already been pushed back to a planned implementation date of 10 November, has now been pushed back to an unspecified date in the future.
The change was made as many country’s government IT systems were not ready. The BBC’s sources also said that there has been no live testing of the EU’s software on the UK’s border computer systems.
‘We’re not going to be ready’
The EU’s home affairs commissioner, Ylva Johansson, said of the delay:
“It's clear that we're not going to be ready for the 10 November. We will be going for a phased approach, step by step.”
A German interior ministry spokesperson said that the current delay was because the “necessary stability and functionality of the EES central system to be provided by the EU agency EU-Lisa is not yet in place”, according to Reuters.
The French interior ministry, meanwhile, maintained the usefulness of the EES but emphasised that preparations must be fully complete for its introduction.
The Guardian notes that the delay comes following concerns raised by the Netherlands, France and Germany. France’s concerns that the system would adversely impact the Rugby World Cup and Summer Olympics hosted in the country were said to be behind a delay last year.
‘A complex operation’
This new delay follows an admission of the possibility earlier this month by the European Commission (EC), when a spokesperson said that “the implementation of a system like EES is a complex operation and delays cannot be completely excluded”.
The Port of Dover had not yet received the required technology to implement the fingerprint checks imposed by the system, and is continuing work on kiosks that allow those going to the EU via the port to provide their fingerprint ahead of time.
The UK government said then that it was “working with the EC, France and the local authorities to ensure we are prepared”.
Risks
Ferry companies and the Port of Dover have suggested that the system could pose an “existential risk facing critical supply chains, businesses, communities, and the tourism economy of nations on both sides of the Channel”.
As Trans.info reported in August, the British International Freight Association (BIFA) and the Road Haulage Association (RHA) had called on members to emphasise “the impact this will have on UK exports and coach travel”.
“As any change in this area will necessitate renegotiation of the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement, it is only through demonstrating a significant impact to the UK economy will we have any chance of convincing the government to pursue a solution.”
