EU lets nine Schengen states postpone biometric border checks to avoid travel chaos

The European Union has again softened its rollout of the Entry-Exit System, permitting at least nine Schengen members—France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Greece, Malta, Portugal, Italy and Switzerland—to delay full enforcement of biometric border checks. The system, which requires fingerprints and facial scans from British and other non-EU travelers, was slated for complete activation by April but suffered repeated software failures that produced hours-long queues at airports such as Lisbon’s Humberto Delgado.

Although a 150-day grace period ended last Sunday, Brussels has informally accepted the countries’ request to keep the checks on hold until the technology stabilises. The decision comes after intense lobbying by airlines, ports and the UK government, with Ryanair urging an extension to next April. Eurostar CEO Gwendoline Cazenave told officials the EU must preserve “border fluidity,” and IATA’s Thomas Reynaert warned that without the ability to switch the system off, the bloc faces a major operational crisis. Officials continue to claim the EES is functioning despite mounting evidence of technical and data-transfer problems.