Brussels – In a late-night negotiating session on 13 April, representatives of the European Parliament and the Polish Presidency of the Council struck a provisional political deal to launch the EU Entry-Exit System (EES) through a 180-day, step-by-step activation plan. The EES will replace passport-stamping for third-country nationals with a biometric register that captures fingerprints and facial images every time a traveller crosses the Schengen external border. Rapporteur Assita Kanko (ECR, Belgium) hailed the compromise as “a major leap forward for security that also gives Member States the flexibility they need to keep legitimate travellers moving.” Under the phased plan, only 10 per cent of crossings must be processed through EES after the first 30 days, rising to 35 per cent by Day 90 and 100 per cent by Day 180. The Commission can pause the countdown if airports or land posts report excessive queues or technical failures. For Belgian corporate mobility teams the agreement provides a clearer runway to final implementation. Brussels Airport—one of the Schengen area’s busiest transfer hubs—has struggled with hour-long queues during previous EES trials. A gradual roll-out means staff can be redeployed in waves and additional automated e-gates installed before volumes peak. Travel managers should nevertheless budget extra connection time for non-EU assignees once the 180-day window opens. The text also states that a mismatch in the EES database alone cannot be grounds for automatic refusal of entry, addressing privacy concerns voiced by Belgium’s Data Protection Authority. Transport ministers are expected to rubber-stamp the deal next week, clearing the way for a plenary vote in May and a Commission decision on the official start date—widely expected in early June. Large multinationals with frequent short-stay visitors are advised to audit their traveller profiles, ensure passport data are machine-readable, and update pre-trip briefing materials. Carriers operating crew changes through Belgium should confirm their exemption status and ensure crew lists are filed in the correct format once stamping ends. With ETIAS travel authorisation slated to follow in 2027, the EES compromise signals that Europe’s border-management “puzzle” is finally coming together—albeit at a measured pace designed to avoid another summer of chaos at Brussels-Zaventem.
Source: Brussels Post
