Nine European countries invited European Commission to extend the validity of the temporary reliefs in the application of the new one of the entry and exit system from the Schengen area (EES), because there are still significant technical and operational challenges.
In a joint letter to Interior Commissioner Magnus Brunner, Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal and Switzerland state that the first months of the system's operation have shown "significant difficulties" that should not be underestimated, Brussels Politiko reported.
The countries emphasized their support for the new system of entry and exit, but request that the member states be allowed to continue using the mechanism for emergency situations after September 6 this year, whose abolition is currently planned for that date.
The mechanism allows border services to, in exceptional circumstances, temporarily suspend the collection of biometric data, such as fingerprints and face scans, in order to avoid large crowds at border crossings, while continuing to register all travelers entering and leaving the Schengen area.
In the letter, the ministers also requested written guarantees from the European Commission before the expiration of the current flexible measures.
European Commission spokesman Markus Lammert said that the Commission welcomes the commitment of member states to the full implementation of the EES system and the systematic registration of all travelers outside the European Union.
He stated that the existing rules already provide for certain flexibilities, including the possibility of temporarily suspending the collection of biometric data in emergency situations, and added that the Commission remains in close contact with countries that face difficulties at certain border crossings.
For now, the European Commission has not indicated that it plans to extend the validity of the existing flexible measures after September 6.
Source: Politiko
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