The Entry/Exit System, later EES, is a part of the entirety, by which the EU aims to improve management of its external borders and to strengthen its internal security.
EES is a database, used in registering, with a few exceptions, border crossings of non-EU nationals, as well as information on possible refused entries into the territory of the Member States. In the border check, information on the person’s identity, travel documents, as well as their biometric data (four fingerprints and facial image) are registered into EES. The information is used for verifying their identity in connection to following border crossings. EES will not be applied to EU nationals.
Along with EES, the quality and efficiency of border checks will improve. Stamping of travel documents will be abandoned, since an individual’s legal stay can reliably be calculated and their travel history verified with the help of the border crossing information registered in the EES. Biometric identifiers are utilised in order to precisely verify the identity, as well as to ensure that non-EU nationals have not already been registered under a different identity or a different travel document. EES enables that the automated border checks, currently only intended for EU-nationals, can also be utilised in non-EU nationals’ border checks.
In the future, EU’s border, immigration and visa authorities receive even more reliable information on those arriving to and staying in the territory of the Member States. EES will improve the control of illegal migration by supporting authorities in monitoring the compliance with the regulations concerning entry and stay. In order to strengthen EU’s internal security, also law enforcement authorities have, on well-defined conditions, access to the information registered in the EES, in order to deter, detect and investigate terrorist offences or other serious offences.
More information available on the European Union’s official webpage: Entry/Exit System – EES (europa.eu).
