Belgium among nine EU states granted leeway to delay full biometric rollout of Entry/Exit System

The Guardian reported on 14 September that the European Commission has informally accepted requests from nine member states—including Belgium—to postpone full implementation of the EU Entry/Exit System (EES) biometric checks that became mandatory on 6 September. The concession follows technical glitches and fears of “queue chaos” at peak-season airports. Belgium has installed EES kiosks at Brussels and Antwerp ports but not yet in every regional airport. Under the grace period, border officers may continue stamping passports manually while they upgrade systems and hire additional staff. Industry stakeholders welcomed the breathing space. Airlines operating at Brussels Airport blamed initial EES trials for adding up to 45 minutes to non-EU passenger processing; trucking associations warned that passenger backlogs spill over into freight lanes where facilities are shared. However, compliance pressure is mounting. Technically, member states that fail to capture fingerprints and facial images are already in breach of EU law. Brussels has signalled that it will not start infringement proceedings immediately, but officials say no further extensions will be granted beyond early 2027. Businesses should expect incremental roll-outs: Eurostar terminals have already begun taking biometrics, and Belgium plans to activate full EES at Liège and Charleroi by December. Travellers should be briefed on the likelihood of longer queues and the importance of having passports and residency documents ready for facial-capture kiosks.