EU's Digital Border System: A Climate Opportunity Hampered by Delays

Wed Jul 22 2026 07:50:31 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

The EU’s Entry/Exit System promises faster border checks and greener travel, yet summer queues risk undoing environmental gains.

The EU introduced the Entry/Exit System (EES) to replace manual passport stamping, aiming to streamline travel and cut emissions. However, early roll‑outs have triggered long queues at airports, ferries and rail terminals, extending air‑port dwell times and increasing carbon footprints. The system requires biometric registration, which can take 10‑20 minutes for each traveller. While the technology could improve efficiency, staffing shortages and technical glitches are still hampering performance. As the summer holidays approach, authorities are working to add staff and improve processes, and a future authorisation layer, ETIAS, will further ease border flow.

The European Union’s new Entry/Exit System (EES) should reduce the time people spend clearing borders, but the live‑testing phase that began in October has resulted in queues that stretch for hours at some airports, ferry ports and rail stations.

Unlike the old practice of a handwritten passport stamp, EES uses automated kiosks that read passports, collect a photo and scan fingerprints. The biometric data are cross‑checked against a central database and tie each traveller’s movement within the 26‑country Schengen area to the point of entry and exit. The goal was to quicken the process – saving time, lowering stress and cutting the energy that airports spend on staffing and paper stamps.

Contrary to that plan, early adopters such as London St Pancras and Frankfurt Airport have seen waiting times climb well beyond five minutes. Reports from airlines say that some passengers “have missed flights home because the wait for EES checks meant they could not reach their gate in time.” In some cases, the delay was as long as six hours, forcing travellers to sit for hours in waiting rooms, often for overnight journeys. Longer stays in airports bring higher fuel burn for aircraft engines on approach and for ground vehicles, and increase the use of generators – all of which raise CO₂ emissions.

How a smoother border could lower travel footprints

If EES operates without bottlenecks, it would let passengers move through stations faster, meaning less idle aircraft and fewer ground‑support vehicles idling. Fewer printed documents reduce paper consumption. Digital records also make it easier for airlines and airports to optimise scheduling and reduce runway utilisation.

What’s being done now

European officials have increased staffing in problematic locations – for instance, Portugal will add hundreds of border aides for July – and are funding technology upgrades to some kiosks. The Commission also allows the system to be temporarily suspended in “exceptional circumstances” that cause “excessive waiting times.” Additionally, a mobile app is being tested in Sweden and Portugal to let travellers register their passport information before they reach the border, potentially shaving minutes off the process.

Looking ahead: the ETIAS layer

Europe’s next step is the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), coming full force at the end of 2026. It will let nationals of visa‑free states – including UK citizens – register online for free travel authority before departure, reducing the time spent on the ground. The ETIAS fee will be €20, but age limits exempt children under 18 and seniors over 70.

From a climate‑first eye, a fully functioning digital border could significantly cut the environmental cost of trans‑European travel. Until then, passengers should aim to arrive at airports far ahead of the six‑hour rule, and airlines should consider holding flights for passengers blocked by EES queues. The summer holidays will be a real test, but the outcome could set a new standard for greener, faster travel across the continent.