EU biometric border checks loom as EES date passes, queues feared

Monday September 7th could be a key date for the full enforcement of the EU's biometric border checks with concerns raised that queues at border checks could get longer and slower this month, The Local Italy reported Friday.

The Entry/Exit System (EES), which will register non-EU travellers' fingerprints and facial images at external borders, has faced repeated delays since its inception. The September date is seen as a critical milestone in the bloc's long-delayed rollout, though full implementation across all member states is expected to be staggered.

For Liguria, the implications are direct. The region's ports and airports — Genoa's Cristoforo Colombo airport and the cruise terminals that handle hundreds of thousands of passengers annually — sit on the EU's external border. Any slowdown in processing could ripple through the local tourism economy.