A serious dispute is brewing in the European Union regarding the implementation of digital borders. A group of nine Schengen countries has sent an official appeal to the European Commission requesting an extension of the "emergency flexibility" mechanism for border control. The initiators of this move warn of the risk of major logistical failures and insist on the right of national administrations to temporarily suspend the mandatory collection of biometric data.

Crisis at the borders: why countries are asking for concessions

The situation intensified after April 10, 2026, when the Entry/Exit System (EES) transitioned to fully operational status. Digital registration of third-country nationals' profiles completely replaced the familiar practice of stamping passports. However, as authorities note, the first months of operation have revealed a critical shortage of capacity in e-gates and stationary terminals.

The official document, dated July 7, 2026, is addressed to the European Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration, Magnus Brunner. The appeal was signed by representatives of the governments of Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Switzerland.

The essence of the complaint lies in the timelines. According to EU Regulation 2025/1534, national services are permitted to temporarily (for up to 6 hours) disable fingerprint scanning and facial recognition in the event of critical overcrowding. However, the current preferential period is limited to the beginning of September 2026. Interior ministers insist on the necessity of maintaining this autonomy for a longer period to avoid a collapse during the peak summer season.

System figures: efficiency versus delays

Despite technical difficulties, statistics show that the system is performing its filtering functions. According to the European Commission's Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs, by July 2026, over 110 million border crossings had been registered in the EES database.

Automated algorithms have demonstrated high efficiency in detecting violations:

  • Approximately 44,000 cases of presenting forged documents or attempts at illegal entry were recorded.
  • More than 1,100 individuals were classified as posing a direct threat to the security of the Schengen area.

Nevertheless, the technical optimization of the EES has already led to the postponement of the launch of the ETIAS authorization system to 2027.

European Commission position and impact on migration flows

In response to the criticism, European Commissioner Magnus Brunner took a reserved stance, stating that the competent authorities had sufficient time to modernize the infrastructure. However, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen acknowledged the existence of "bottlenecks" in several directions and confirmed the allocation of additional technical teams to stabilize server operations.

It is important to note that the introduction of end-to-end digital control changes the rules of the game for all categories of travelers. The expert community is actively discussing the impact of the EES on the stay of Ukrainian citizens, in particular men of conscription age. The system performs a strictly technical function: the automatic calculation of the permitted duration of stay (90 days within a 180-day period) eliminates the possibility of illegal residence in the EU with expired documents.

According to Regulation (EU) 2017/2226, the database processes personal information and biometric markers of third-country nationals. Any actions to verify military registration data or determine legal status are carried out exclusively within the framework of the national legislation of the host countries, while the EES merely records the fact of crossing the external border and identifies individuals who have exceeded the limits of short-term stays.