EU again delays introduction of automated border controls

The European Union has again delayed the introduction of a new automated immigration system at external Schengen borders that was due to enter operation on November 10.

EU Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson announced the decision on Thursday after Germany, France the Netherlands said they were not ready.

Ms Johansson said one potential option was to introduce the Entry/Exit System in a phased manner “step-by-step” rather than a “Big Bang” across all EU borders and airports.

But she said there was no new timetable at present and that a phased-in approach would require some “targeted amendments” to the existing regulation.

She also pointed to some “resilience” problems in the system.

"We had a target date of the 10th of November but after in-depth discussions with Member States and stakeholders, it’s clear that this is not going to be the 10th of November," Ms Johansson told reporters.

"I hope we can start as soon as possible but there's no new timeline so far.”

“This also depends on the legal assessment that we will do and we're working on it right now."

The announcement comes against the backdrop of wide concern that the new Entry/Exit System could have led to severe disruption at the border.

The EES requires non-EU travellers to register their biometric details including fingerprints and a facial scan, which would be used by border officers to check travellers every time they entered the Schengen zone.

It would also limit Gibraltar red ID card holder, who have so far been exempted from normal Schengen controls, to no more than 90 days in any 180-day period inside the Schengen zone.

Travellers could also be quizzed on their reasons for travel and required to show proof of where they are staying, financial means and onward travel.

Gibraltar has said it will reciprocate the controls on the Gibraltar side for EU nationals travelling to the Rock, including 15,000 cross-border workers who enter Gibraltar daily.

Ms Johansson's announcement comes in the final stages of the negotiation for a UK/EU treaty on Gibraltar’s post-Brexit relations with the bloc, with recent public statements pointing to tension between the negotiating parties.

Earlier this week, Jose Manuel Albares, Spain’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, said the UK and Gibraltar must decide whether to accept the “comprehensive, balanced, and pragmatic” proposals made by Spain and the EU or face the implications of an EU-wide change to border controls as from November.

But in reply, Chief Minister Fabian Picardo urged Spain to accept “reasonable and well-balanced” proposals for a UK/EU treaty on Gibraltar, or “condemn us all” to tough border controls that will complicate the lives of workers and ordinary people.