 starting this Sunday, business group Logistics UK has said it is "essential" that the EU keeps its promise of a phased roll out.){kind=link}
With the long-awaited implementation of the EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES) starting this Sunday (12 October), business group Logistics UK has said it is “essential” that the EU keeps its promise of a phased roll out, so that there are no delays to freight traffic between the UK and France.
Under EES, non-EU citizens that cross the borders of the 29 European countries in the Schengen area will need to create a digital record by submitting biometric details. They will need to do this on their first visit after which they will be automatically register.
“It is essential that the new border systems are implemented gradually to keep traffic flowing and trade moving,” said Logistics UK’s Josh Fenton.
“Almost 60% of UK-EU trade in goods travels via the Short Straits, which equates to thousands of vehicles every day. The additional time required for passengers to register biometric details when they leave the UK has the potential to cause knock on delays for freight traffic and disrupt the UK’s supply chain.
“It is more than just an inconvenience: our analysis shows that even a 90 minute delay for the 3.35 million HGVs that pass through the Short Straits would cost the economy £400 million per year.”
Fenton said some disruption is inevitable as travellers register their details, so he urged businesses moving goods to the continent to allow additional journey time.
Logistics UK is calling on the UK government to work with the French government to develop an app for so Entry/Exit System registration can be carried out remotely.
Fenton added that EES has also thrown up an additional consideration for transport operators, the automatic enforcement of the requirement that non-EU citizens are restricted to spending 90 days in previous 180 in the EU.
He said: “The new EES system will automatically log time spent within the Schengen area, so it is essential that drivers comply with the current legal requirement of only spending 90 of the previous 180 days in the Schengen area.
“It is important to remember that both personal travel and commercial work contribute to the 90 days – personal holidays count towards the total. As the new system will automatically detect overstayers, drivers and operators need to ensure they remain compliant.
“The current 90/180 day rule does not support smooth trade between the UK and EU and Logistics UK is calling for the UK government to seek an exemption from the EU for professional drivers.
“This will ensure they can continue to deliver the goods that businesses and consumers across Europe rely on that help drive growth. Until that happens, drivers must comply with the legislation to ensure there is no disruption to their operations.”
What is the EU’s Entry/Exit System and how does it work?
The new Entry/Exit System (EES) requires all non-EU citizens to register personal biometric details, including face images and fingerprints, when they first enter the Schengen area. This includes all EU nations apart from Ireland and Cyprus, plus Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein.
Details will be stored for three years and travellers will need to confirm their details on each visit with a face scan.
The EU has committed to a gradual implementation of the changes, starting on 12 October.
European countries will introduce the different elements of the EES in phases. This means that travellers’ details might not be collected at every border crossing point right away, and personal information may not be registered in the system. Passports will continue to be stamped as usual.
Airport registration starts from 12 October. For Eurostar, it will first apply to a small number of business travellers.
For Eurotunnel and ferries, EES will first apply to coach passengers from 12 October.
Full implementation will be introduced by 10 April 2026.