The new European Border Control System EES will go live on 12 October, after successive delays, to monitor hundreds of millions of people entering the European Union each year.

According to Bloomberg, the implementation of the “Entry/Exit System” will be phased in gradually and EU member states will have six months to get it fully operational. According to the European Commission’s announcement, the EES will record the details of third-country nationals entering 29 European countries, including biometric data such as fingerprints and facial images.

Tighter controls, faster procedures

The aim of the new system is twofold: on the one hand, to speed up entry procedures for those travelling legally and, on the other, to enhance security by cracking down on illegal immigration and impersonation.

The implementation of the EES was originally scheduled for November last year, but was postponed as several member states were not technically ready. In addition, many travel agents’ associations had expressed concerns about possible chaos at airports and entry points if the measure was implemented in haste.

The European Commission described the launch of the EES as “an important step towards achieving a more secure and efficient border management system.”