12 July 2022: After weeks of discussions with DG HOME and eu-LISA, the implementation date of the Entry-Exit System (EES) is likely to be postponed to April-May 2023, with a progressive phased in approach. 

Although the key criteria defining such an approach are still to be determined, airlines – in principle – support the European Commission in its efforts to alleviate the operational burden and limit the impact on passengers’ journey caused by the entry into operation of the EES. In such effort, all aspects must be considered. This covers but is not limited to, the installation of necessary equipment at airports’ border crossing points enabling efficient processes, the training and availability of sufficient border guards and the development of off-airport solutions enabling third country nationals to enrol ideally on departure and avoiding additional waiting time at the border to ensure connectivity and customer experience at Schengen airports are not impacted.

In recent months, ERA has conducted a joint advocacy campaign with the key European associations to request that the timeframe of the EES be reassessed avoiding peak traffic periods, in order to address the challenges faced by Member States and industry, and that the performance of the EES/ETIAS project be reviewed and improved by allocating the necessary human and IT resources by the EU to address the above concerns.

ERA will participate to the high-level meeting with DGs from DG HOME, Frontex and eu-LISA that will take place on 14 July to address the details of the implementation phase and the progressive approach envisaged by DG HOME.

14 June 2022: eu-LISA held a new working group meeting dedicated to air carriers on 25 May, on the implementation of the Entry/Exit System (EES). During the meeting, eu-LISA gave a technical update on the system-to-system connection. The new API form to collect the system information and get the system connected was shared with air carriers as well as the new VPN MQ form.

Some air carriers expressed issues in complying with the eu-LISA connectivity and security requirements, especially on the capacity of having a certificate on VPN. With regard to this issue, IATA launched with its members a survey to collect inputs on behalf of eu-LISA on this issue. The agency received the results of the survey end May 2022, which illustrate and strengthen the concerns raised by industry on the certificate options as well as the alternatives that the industry fully support. The outcomes received by IATA came from airlines, system providers and handlers.

An impact assessment and risk management will be carried by eu-LISA to ensure what will be the impacts in terms of costs and timeline.

Additionally, eu-LISA presented the updated ‘connection information form' (form 04).  This form must be completed only if the carriers want to use the system-to-system connection and it has to be completed by the service provider that has been declared by the carriers (i.e. not to be completed by the carrier).

In case the form 04 has not been received, the carrier needs to get back in touch with the carrier’s onboarding team.

eu-LISA confirmed also that here will be a new version of the Carrier Technical Guidelines (last version dated 22/10/2021).

The entry into force of EES is still scheduled for September 2022. Discussions regarding a possible postponement of the start of the operations are still ongoing. In May 2022, ERA signed a joint letter together with key European associations asking that the EES deadline is re-assessed avoiding traffic peak periods, to address the challenges faced by Member States and industry and that the performance of EES/ETIAS project be re-visited and enhanced, by allocating the necessary human/IT resources by EU as applicable to address the above concerns.