Nine EU countries urge Brussels to extend EES border check flexibility past 2026

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BRUSSELS — A coalition of nine European countries is urging Brussels to prolong emergency flexibility for the Entry/Exit System, arguing the bloc is not yet ready to phase out the current safeguards.

In a joint letter dated July 7 and seen by POLITICO, Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal and Switzerland told Internal Affairs Commissioner Magnus Brunner that the system’s first months of operation have exposed “significant difficulties” that cannot be underestimated.

The ministers reaffirmed their support for the new Entry/Exit system but want the Commission to allow member countries to continue using the system’s built-in emergency mechanism beyond Sept. 6, 2026, when it is due to expire.

The mechanism allows border authorities, in exceptional cases, to temporarily suspend the collection of travelers’ fingerprints and facial scans to ease congestion, while still registering everyone entering and leaving the Schengen area.

In the letter, ministers also request written guarantees from the Commission on this issue before the current flexibility expires.

Commission spokesperson Markus Lammert said the Commission welcomed the countries’ “explicit commitment” to the full implementation of the EES and to the systematic registration of all non-EU travelers.

He reiterated that the legislation already includes built-in flexibilities, including the possibility of suspending biometric data collection over the summer, and said the Commission remains in “close and constructive contact” with the “few member states” experiencing difficulties at certain border crossing points.

“There is a strong joint will to make the system work everywhere,” he added.

The letter comes as airports, airlines and ferry operators sound the alarm that the new system is causing long queues and operational disruption during the summer travel season, with industry groups arguing that technical and operational problems are unlikely to be resolved by early September.

So far, the Commission has given no indication that it intends to extend the current flexibilities beyond Sept. 6 or suspend the mechanism more broadly.

Gabriel Gavin contributed to this report.