The Council has adopted an EU law that will make it possible to start the new entry and exit digital border management system (EES) gradually over a period of six months.
Tha Council made the decision on Friday, 18 July, on the back of previous parliamentary consent. The European Parliament, with the first-reading approval on July 8, 2025, gave also the green light to a temporary derogation that will significantly change how the Union activates the Entry-Exit System (EES). This digital system is to record the entry and exit of third-country nationals from the Schengen area. It will not launch in a single, simultaneous activation; instead, it will start operation gradually over a 180-day transitional period.
Border control innovation
The EES is a key component of the EU’s new digital ecosystem for border control. Once operational, it will permanently replace the stamping of passports with electronic records containing biometric data, such as fingerprints and facial images. The declared objectives are to improve the efficiency of entry and exit flow management, prevent overstays, and strengthen external border security. However, the system’s technological complexity and the varying operational capacities of member states led EU institutions to revise both the timeline and the implementation strategy.
In the months leading up to the vote, several governments reported being unable to guarantee a uniform and simultaneous rollout, citing delays in infrastructure projects, staff training, and technical integration with national systems. The eu-LISA agency, tasked with the system’s technical implementation, also warned of the risk of malfunctions and congestion at major European airports if the EES activates all at once. In response to these concerns, Parliament opted for a compromise solution that balances the urgency of going live with the need to avoid operational disruptions.
Smoothly into force
During the transitional period, member states will be able to progressively activate the system at their border crossing points, starting with a limited number of locations and eventually covering their entire territory. During this phase, traditional passport stamping will still be possible to ensure the legal validity of border checks, while the system will gradually integrate the biometric data. The regulation states that the absence of biometric data during the initial rollout cannot be a means to penalize travelers or to raise suspicions of irregular stay.
The compromise received broad cross-party support within the European Parliament. MEP Assita Kanko (ECR/BEL), rapporteur for the dossier, welcomed the vote, calling it “an important step toward a smarter and more secure border management system for the EU.”
You might be interested
In a comment to EU Perspectives, Ms Kanko emphasized that “the approval came with broad cross-party backing” and reaffirmed that, once fully implemented, the EES “will allow for faster and more accurate checks, strengthen the EU’s ability to detect overstays, and give law enforcement immediate access to entry and exit data – all while facilitating travel for regular visitors.”
When the summer’s over
The Council of the European Union approved the dossier, even if it was to pass only in late summer: the Danish Presidency was fast to act. It will then be up to the European Commission to set the start date for the transitional phase, which, according to internal sources, is likely to be between September and October 2025. From that point onward, the Entry-Exit System will begin to take concrete shape – not as a sudden launch, but as a phased, monitored, and adaptable rollout that, at least in principle, better reflects the operational realities of member states.
