Downing Street has played down the potential for even more post-Brexit travel misery for Brits next autumn, when the European Union’s much-delayed Entry/Exit Scheme (EES) is scheduled to start.
EU ministers last month agreed on an autumn 2024 launch after lobbying from France to push it beyond the Paris Olympics, which close in early August.
Now a date of October 6, 2024 has been set by Brussels, according to The Independent, citing the operator of Eurotunnel, despite warnings from Ryanair and other players that the industry is nowhere near ready yet.
There was no immediate comment from the European Commission, but Rishi Sunak’s spokesman said the UK Government had been working with France “to ensure British passengers can continue to travel smoothly to the continent”.
“We believe this will continue as the EU implements their new biometric checks at the border,” the spokesman told reporters.
“We're in close contact with port authorities, the operators, the French government to work to that end. And obviously, as we get closer to the introduction of this new approach, then we will set out more information for the public.”
The system will involve travellers from non-EU countries such as Britain having their fingerprints and facial biometrics scanned, to register them on a database the first time they enter a member state.
That is likely to sharply increase the time it takes for travellers to get through airports, seaports and rail terminals.
But Brussels insists the EES is needed to combat crime, and that it will decrease processing times for travellers after their first registration, once they no longer need to get their passports stamped.
In evidence reportedly submitted to the EU, Ryanair complained that airlines were still in the dark despite numerous delays to the scheme.
It said: “It is not yet possible to properly test changes to our systems due to delays in providing test environments, and many aspects of the system requirements either have not been specified or are simply not clear to us.”
John Keefe, chief corporate and public affairs officer at Getlink, which operates the Channel Tunnel, has warned that the new system was designed “without any consideration” for cross-Channel travel.
The Port of Dover already suffers from long queues at peak periods due to French border officials carrying out enhanced post-Brexit checks.
“This scheme was designed for airports, quite simply without any consideration for the nature of transport that happens across the Channel,” Mr Keefe told MPs in July.
“Where it struggles is when cars drive through large open spaces – car parks – in all weathers, in all lights, at all times of the day or night.
“The data capture has to look at individuals who are deep inside a vehicle. That then becomes very complicated.”
