Malta faces the risk of forced exclusion from the Schengen Area due to delays in implementing the new EES passport control system.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Maltese MEP Peter Agius indicated that European Commission representatives confirmed to him in an informal meeting that Malta is at “real risk” of being excluded from the Schengen Area due to its failure to implement the new European passport control system, known as the Entry/Exit System (EES).
“The European Commission confirmed to me that the risk of Malta being excluded from the Schengen Area is real because, so far, there is still no system in place to electronically verify fingerprints and passports as required by law. If Malta exits Schengen, we will all have to start undergoing numerous checks and delays that we got rid of in 2007″, explains Peter Agius.
The MEP is concerned that his country “has delayed the implementation of a European law agreed upon six years ago, to the point that until a few days ago, there was still no contract to ensure the purchase of new equipment needed to replace the existing equipment at the airport”.
“According to what the European Commission services have told me, the Maltese government is preparing a manual and temporary passport control system. This could be bureaucratic and cause some delays… It is supposedly meant to prevent Malta from being cut off from the Schengen Area next October. All of this indicates a lack of seriousness. The freedoms and rights we have gained through our membership in Europe require the Maltese government to do its part to implement these rights”, adds Peter Agius.
The EES could be activated on October 6, 2024
“We should never have reached a situation where the right to free movement in the Schengen Area is threatened because government entities did not do their job on time. This is a matter of national importance. The government has an obligation to better inform us about what affects our rights”, says Peter Agius.
The Entry/Exit System (EES) could come into effect on October 6 (an unconfirmed date) and aims to improve the management of external borders, reduce irregular migration by addressing overstays, and facilitate the management of migratory flows.
Following the introduction of the EES, in the first half of 2025, the EU will deploy its ETIAS electronic travel authorization for visa-exempt travelers to the Schengen Area.
The EES is set to replace the old system of physically stamping passports at border control upon arrival, which the European Commission has identified as time-consuming, error-prone, and incapable of systematically detecting overstays or addressing security threats such as terrorism and serious crime.
All EU member states, except Cyprus and Ireland—where passports will continue to be stamped manually—and the four non-European Union countries—Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland—will participate in the EES.
Under the EES, when the system is in operation, upon arriving in a new country, you will still need to provide your passport. Additionally, a photo of your face will be taken, and your fingerprints will be electronically scanned.
