The EU’s planned introduction of a new digital Entry/Exit System (EES) later this year threatens serious delays at the Port of Dover and Eurotunnel borders and 14-hour traffic queues in Kent, MPs have been warned.
Kent County Council leader Roger Gough, Ashford Borough Council head of economic development Andrew Osborne and Visit Kent chief executive Deirdre Wells appeared before the EU Scrutiny Committee of MPs yesterday and warned the launch of the EES system threatens “a national problem”.
The EU Entry/Exit System is expected to launch after the Paris Olympics in July and August and will require non-EU residents to register at the Schengen Area border.
The system will replace passport stamping and requires the creation of visitor profiles with facial images and fingerprints that will take time to process at the border.
Gough, Osborne and Wells told the MPs that modelling by the Port of Dover, ferry operators and government departments suggests “a reasonable worst-case scenario” will see queues of “up to 14 hours” for traffic heading to Europe.
They pointed out the Port of Dover and Eurotunnel form the most important entry point to Europe for the UK, and urged Kent be supported to manage the impact of the system’s introduction, warning that supply chains would be “fundamentally impacted” and make this “a national problem”.
Gough told the committee: “Delays on the approaches to both portals in Kent in the summer of 2022 caused long tailbacks with tourists stuck in queues for over 15 hours.”
He warned: “The impact of EES on tourist traffic crossing the short straits could be much worse.”
Gough called for increased funding for traffic management and facilities for holding EU-bound freight and asked the committee “to urge Government to work with operators, infrastructure owners, EU member states, the EC and its agencies to explore all technological capabilities and legislative possibilities to enable remote registration and reduce delays”.
Wells noted: “Long traffic queues on the approach to Dover and Folkestone impact not just those travelling to the Continent but communities and businesses throughout the county as visitors become nervous about coming to Kent.”
She said: “We stand ready to work collaboratively with the government and key stakeholders to ensure introduction of the EES is as smooth as it can be.”