‘Phased approach’ planned for EES as Nov. 10 deadline passes

Plans for the rollout of the European Union Entry/Exit System on November 10 were scrapped as the European Commission seeks to adopt a ‘phased approach’ instead. 

EES calls for an automated IT system to register non-EU nationals travelling for up to 90 days within any 180-day period, each time they cross the external borders of any of the European countries using the system. 

EES will electronically register the time and place of entry and exit of non-EU nationals, and calculate the duration of their authorised stay. 

This will replace the obligation to stamp the passports of third-country nationals which is applicable to all EU member states. 

The technology is set to enhance border security and monitor overstayers across Europe. 

The likely impact on cruise ports is yet to be fully understood, although cruise itineraries starting and ending at a Schengen port – and exclusively calling at Schengen ports – will not be affected.

Commenting on the target date of November 10 failing to be met, a European Commission spokesperson told Seatrade Cruise, ‘…The Commission has not received all required declarations of readiness, which is a legal requirement to be able to start the operation of the system.’ 

In recent months, the eu-LISA Management Board, composed of representatives of EU Member States and the European Commission, invited the EU Commission to assess the feasibility of a phased approach. This was discussed in the Home Affairs Council and it has been considered as the best way forward for swift progress. ‘As next step, the Commission has asked eu-LISA to convene an extraordinary Management Board meeting,’ the spokesperson continued. 

Related:Experts call for live trials of EU EES ahead of November launch

They also noted that ‘consultations are now ongoing on a phased approach. The Commission continues its legal assessment to decide on next steps…’ 

Implementation of the system was originally scheduled for 2022, but has been delayed multiple times since then.

Soft start up

Stefan Scheja, manager cruise and ferry at Ports of Stockholm, told Seatrade Cruise, ‘The last information that we got a few weeks ago was to say that it has been postponed until May 2025.’ 

In the meantime it is possible for EU member countries to do a ‘soft’ start up, he said, where the system can be tested without ‘going live 100% at once’. 

Impact on cruise operations

Asked about the likely impact of EES on cruise ports and for how long this could last, Scheja responded, ‘The impact in the beginning will be that a control will take a longer time per person.’ 

This will partly be ‘related to resources for the border police and the amount of cruise guests that arrive/depart: A huge vessel will demand a large set up related to control stations and manning etc.’ 

Scheja said the first port the ship arrives at when sailing from a non-EU to an EU state, and the last port of call before exiting the EU ‘will have larger challenges.’ 

EES in brief

Crew embarking at a Schengen port will need to be registered as exiting Schengen and be registered as re-entering Schengen upon final disembarkation from the vessel at the end of their duty, even if the ship’s itinerary includes intra-Schengen ports only.

For an intra-Schengen cruise, no border control is required for passengers. A round-trip voyage, sailing from a non-Schengen port, does not require registration in EES for transit stops at Schengen ports.

For one-way cruises with a final disembarkation port in Schengen, third country nationals will need to register in EES, which may include biometric capture.

For one-way cruises embarking in Schengen with a final disembarkation outside of Schengen, third country nationals will need to register their exit in EES.

It is recommended that third country nationals joining a round-trip cruise from a Schengen port, with a transit call in a non-Schengen country, register their exit at the port of embarkation and register entry into Schengen at the final port of disembarkation.