The European Union is preparing for one of the most significant transformations of its border management system in decades, after MEPs on the Civil Liberties Committee gave their emphatic backing to the gradual introduction of the long-delayed Biometric Entry-Exit System (EES).
This paves the way for the controversial biometric tracking scheme to be rolled out across the EU’s external borders over a period of 180 days.
The EES, which will replace the manual stamping of passports for third-country nationals entering the Schengen area, is designed to record detailed entry and exit information. This includes the collection of biometric data such as fingerprints and facial images, a move Brussels argues is vital for enhancing security, combating overstays, and modernising border controls.
Speaking after the vote, Belgian MEP Assita Kanko, the Parliament’s rapporteur on the file, stressed the importance of advancing the project in light of Europe’s evolving security landscape. “The purpose of the Entry-Exit System is to make EU citizens safer,” she said. “In the eight years since the EES legislation was adopted, security threats have only increased, meaning that the system is now more important than ever.”
Despite the urgency, progress has been painfully slow. The system, originally slated to be operational several years ago, has faced repeated delays due to technical hurdles and uneven readiness among member states. Kanko acknowledged this reality, explaining that the phased roll-out was the most practical way to get the EES functioning “as soon as realistically possible.”
A Flexible Framework
Under the proposal endorsed by MEPs, the European Commission will initiate a 180-day period during which member states can gradually bring the EES online. The framework envisions that at least 10% of border crossings must be registered in the system on the first day, scaling up to 50% by day 90 and reaching full coverage by the end of the implementation period.
However, Parliament has pushed for more flexibility. In amendments to the Commission’s blueprint, MEPs propose easing the initial targets, allowing countries to reach the 10% milestone by day 30 rather than day one, and 35% rather than 50% by day 90. The aim is to avoid undue pressure on border management authorities and to reduce the risk of long queues and technical failures during the initial weeks.
The Committee has also insisted that neither the start nor the end of the roll-out coincide with the EU’s peak travel periods—namely the summer holiday season and the year-end festive rush. This, MEPs argue, would mitigate the risk of disruption at busy airports and land crossings.
In a nod to the potential for unforeseen challenges, contingency protocols for the central EES database have also been recommended. These would allow the temporary suspension of the roll-out should systemic issues arise or waiting times spiral out of control.
Next Steps: Negotiations Ahead
The Civil Liberties Committee also approved a mandate to begin negotiations with the Council of the European Union on the final text of the legislation. The Parliament’s draft negotiating position will be formally announced at an upcoming plenary session, after which trilogue talks with member states can commence—provided no objections are raised.
The outcome of these talks will be crucial. While the Commission and Parliament appear largely aligned on the need for a staggered introduction, some national governments remain wary of the EES’s implications for sovereignty and border staffing. Concerns have also been raised by civil liberties groups regarding data protection and the potential for privacy infringements, given the unprecedented scale of biometric data collection envisioned.
A Digital Border Age
The EES is part of a broader push by Brussels to interlink and digitalise Europe’s sprawling border and migration systems. Once operational, it will be interoperable with other EU security databases, including the Schengen Information System (SIS) and the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS). The entire suite is being managed by eu-LISA, the EU’s dedicated IT agency for justice and security matters.
In practice, this means that a traveller’s biometric and personal information will be available in real time to authorities across all Schengen member states—a shift that EU officials say will not only speed up border crossings but also crack down on illegal overstays and identity fraud.
Still, critics argue that the promise of efficiency must not come at the cost of civil liberties. For now, however, the political momentum behind the EES appears strong, with broad support in Parliament and an urgency fuelled by global instability and rising migration pressures.
As the EU edges closer to a high-tech, biometric future at its frontiers, the coming months will test whether Brussels can strike the delicate balance between security and freedom—and whether its sprawling digital infrastructure can truly deliver on its ambitious promises.
Main Image: By Gerald Nino/CPB – U.S. Customs and Border Protection photographic archives (image permalink), Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3837871
