The mobile application for the Entry/Exit System (EES) may not be ready in time for the launch of the EU border digital identification EES, which is to be implemented in October.
Once operational, EES will require non-EU citizens entering and leaving the region to submit fingerprints and facial scans the first time they enter the bloc. While EU officials believe the app will be ready on time, there are doubts there will be enough time for this process before October.
Nichola Mallon, Head of Trade & Devolved Policy at Logistics UK, pointed out that once the app had been fully developed, it would still need to be tested among all potential end-users and across all languages to operate effectively.
At the same time, the UK has raised concerns about the app’s delay causing congestion at the EU-UK border, with Schengen nations expressing similar worries.
In response, the EU Commission’s spokesperson for Home Affairs, Anitta Hipper, told POLITICO that the app’s pre-registration for visitors was still under development but said it would be ready for Schengen nationals from the launch of EES, reports Schengen Visa Info.
