New EU border system faces fresh pressure from airlines and airports

Europe’s new border control system is again under fire from airports and air carriers, which have demanded six urgent changes to the Entry/Exit System (EES), in order to cope with the problems causing the inconvenience to travellers. Almost six months after the system was fully introduced, queues are still being caused at certain border checkpoints of the Schengen area, which has made the aeronautics industry call for swift action from the authorities in Brussels.

On Monday, 12th October, ACI EUROPE and Airlines for Europe (A4E) issued a joint statement presenting six proposals for improving the system.

In many cases, waiting times at border crossings continue to exceed two hours, with the worst cases sometimes exceeding five hours during busy periods.

Especially for the British tourist traveling to Spain and other Schengen countries, the question posed is a crucial one: could changes to the new border checks in Europe make travel easier?

Airlines and airports demand six changes to EU border checks

The EES was introduced in order to modernise the checks of persons from outside the European Union who enter or leave the Schengen area for short stays.

The EES electronically records travellers’ entry and exit dates, passport details and biometric information, including facial images and fingerprints, replacing traditional passport stamps for travellers covered by the system.

The purpose of this system is to reinforce border security, catch people who overstay their visas, and make border control more effective.

However, according to ACI EUROPE and A4E, the system is still failing to deliver the passenger-friendly services that were initially expected.

On the 12th of October, these organizations listed a number of underlying problems: insufficient border staff, unreliable IT systems, limited use of automated passport gates and self-service kiosks.

They also criticised the limited functionality and availability of the EU’s Travel to Europe pre-registration application.

Instead of calling for the abolition of the EES, the authorities concerned in the field of aviation proposed six operational and regulatory changes.

The first is to eliminate the double checking of information. This will reduce duplication at the checkpoints.

The second is to improve the biometric verification procedures, so that traveler screening can be carried out more quickly without compromising safety.

Third, the organisations want to prevent duplicate EES profiles, which can complicate the handling of travellers’ records.

Fourth proposal: the revision of the Travel to Europe app and web portal. The purpose is to provide pre-registration more effectively before the border is crossed.

The fifth recommendation is to speed up and standardize the introduction of Automated Border Control gates for eligible non-EU travellers, enabling more passengers to enjoy the benefits of fully automated border control checks.

At the end, the organizations ask that the government retain the right to partially suspend EES biometric registration if the waiting time is too long.

This last proposal would enable the border authorities to be more flexible in periods of extreme congestion. It would not involve the elimination of all passport and border controls.

The organizations claim that such changes are necessary because the problems are no longer caused solely by the insufficient adaptation of the travelers and the border controllers to the new system.

What the proposed changes could mean for travellers to Spain

The EES is of particular importance for foreigners, including British citizens, who travel to Spain for their holidays or for other short stays because the UK has left the European Union.

For the majority of British visitors without a valid residence permit, the system records their crossing of the external borders of the Schengen area.

This includes British holidaymakers flying to popular Spanish destinations such as Alicante, Málaga, Barcelona and Madrid.

The EES does not modify the common rule of free access to the Schengen area for most British tourists who can stay up to 90 days within a period of 180 days, but only changes the way entrances, exits and biometrics are recorded.

Those who hold a valid residence permit in a participating European country are exempt from having to register on the system. This distinction is of significance for British residents in Spain, who should carry their valid residence permits when travelling.

The proposals made by the aviation industry might in time make the crossings easier for those who have to pass through the checkpoints, by reducing the number of checks, improving the automation of procedures and allowing more flexibility in avoiding congestion.

However, these are proposals from the aviation industry, not changes that have already been approved by the European Commission or EU Member States.

ACI EUROPE and A4E want the European Commission and the participating countries to act. They do not guarantee the acceptance of every proposal.

There is also a need to distinguish the wider issues raised by the organisations from the local circumstances in individual Spanish airports.

Though the industry has reported on the lines in certain Schengen border checkpoints, the statement does not provide a breakdown of waiting times at airports in Spain.

Therefore, it should not be assumed that at every Spanish airport the delays cited are occurring.

Will the EU change its border system before the winter travel season?

This new intervention follows a series of warnings from industry bodies about the EES’s effects on passenger flows.

ACI EUROPE and A4E have no doubt that the new system has augmented border security. But their main concern is that the operational problems persist after the new border control system has been fully put into operation.

In their common declaration ACI EUROPE Director General Olivier Jankovec and A4E Managing Director Ourania Georgoutsakou argued that what the industry needs is a long-term solution to the congestion problem rather than a temporary solution.

They ask the European Commission and the governments of the Member States to introduce a change in the regulations as soon as possible. They are ready to help the airports and the air transport companies with this task.

This pressure will be felt especially in the winter season, when holiday traffic is added to the normal passenger flows.

The European institutions did not announce a positive decision from the European Commission, and the deadline for the reform has not yet been set.

The immediate advice to British travellers, if they are thinking of visiting Spain, is to be practical.

For those travelling on British passports for short stays abroad, be prepared for EES procedures where applicable, follow the recommendations of the airline, and leave ample time to pass through passport control. This is particularly important when connecting.

British residents in Spain should travel with both their valid passport and residence permit to demonstrate their exemption from EES registration

Also note that the EES is not the ETIAS, the planned system of authorization for the European Union, which has a different purpose.

In the meantime, the six-point plan is the latest effort by the aviation industry to convince the European authorities to make their border system more effective.

Whether or not these proposals lead to faster border checks depends on the decisions of the European Commission and the individual states.

It is no longer the question of whether the EES should exist, but whether European airports and border controls can make it work without undue discomfort to travellers.