France and Italy Among Nine Countries Reportedly Easing EES Border Checks
Nine Schengen countries have reportedly received informal permission to limit EES biometric checks after temporary flexibility expired, leaving travelers facing uneven procedures.
France, Italy and seven other Schengen countries have reportedly received informal permission to delay full enforcement of the European Union’s biometric border checks, as technical problems and lengthy queues continue to complicate the Entry/Exit System rollout.
The countries named in the reports are France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Greece, Malta, Portugal, Italy and Switzerland. According to The Independent, citing The Sunday Times, they told the European Commission they would not fully enforce the new controls until the technology and supporting systems were working properly.
The reported arrangement would allow authorities to limit biometric processing to keep passengers moving. However, the Commission declined to comment, according to The Independent, and no replacement deadline for full enforcement was reported. The development should therefore be understood as a reported operational concession, rather than a confirmed cancellation of EES.
The uncertainty follows the September 6 expiration of the EES flexibility period. That temporary arrangement had allowed border authorities to suspend parts of the biometric process during heavy congestion. Its expiry raised concerns about how airports and other crossings would manage passenger volumes through the autumn and Christmas travel periods.
The Entry/Exit System records border crossings electronically and introduces biometric registration for eligible travelers from outside the EU. The reports concern how consistently those procedures are being enforced, leaving passengers with uncertainty about the process they will encounter at a particular crossing.
TravelPulse, citing The Connexion, reports problems with EES kiosks and their connections to automated passport gates. French ferry operators have warned that the technology cannot yet process passengers quickly enough, while airports have raised concerns about disruption during upcoming busy travel periods.
Ryanair has called for the temporary exemption to be extended until at least April 2027, arguing that airports and border authorities need additional time to increase staffing and make the system work efficiently. That date is the airline’s request, not an announced EU implementation deadline.
For travel businesses, the immediate challenge is setting realistic expectations. A relaxation at one airport or ferry terminal does not establish what will happen elsewhere, and reports of reduced checks should not be presented to customers as a guarantee of shorter queues.
Travelers should continue to follow instructions from their carrier and the authorities responsible for their specific crossing. Until a formal, detailed position is published, the practical picture remains uneven: EES is still operating, but the extent of biometric processing may differ between locations as authorities balance implementation with passenger flow.
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