EU Commissioner urges member states to prepare EES for holiday travel

European Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner has urged EU member states to ensure the efficient implementation of the new Entry/Exit System (EES) to prevent long border delays during the upcoming Christmas holidays.

The EES, a digital system that records fingerprints and facial images of non-EU citizens entering the Schengen Area, has caused significant congestion at various European airports. During the summer tourist season, some countries temporarily disabled the system to manage crowds. Recent reports highlighted extreme delays at Brussels Zaventem Airport, where passengers waited up to five hours for border controls.

Brunner noted that while the European Commission has offered financial support and assistance through Frontex, the responsibility for successful implementation lies with national authorities and airports. He specifically identified Belgium as a country lagging in implementation. In response, Belgian Interior Minister Bernard Quintin stated that while sufficient police personnel have been deployed, existing airport infrastructure struggles to handle passenger volumes, noting that peak morning flows can reach 3,500 passengers per hour against a processing capacity of 500 to 600.