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British travelers traveling to countries such as Spain, Portugal and Italy are being urged to be prepared for four-hour queues new EU border system It will come into effect on Sunday, while industry bodies have warned that the delay could cost the economy £400m.
Entry Exit System (EES) This means UK travelers will need to register their fingerprints and have a photo taken to enter schengen areaWhich includes 29 European countries, mainly in the European Union.
While the Home Office said additional investigation It should “only take one to two minutes” for travelers to complete, he admitted, adding that it could lead to “long waits at busy times”, with travel companies warning travelers to allow up to four hours to check in.
Meanwhile, there are fears that further transport delays could cost the UK economy millions.
Analysis conducted by Logistics UK with independent modeling experts MDS Transmodal estimated that delays of around 90 minutes for the 3.35 million HGVs passing through the Short Straits in 2023 would cost the economy £400m a year.
Josh Fenton, policy manager at Logistics UK, warned: “This is a cost that the logistics industry cannot easily afford, not least because our members already operate on incredibly narrow margins and face rising operating costs that are putting pressure on their ability to continue trading.
“It is vital for our region that the UK Government maintains close dialogue with its European counterparts to ensure that the test of Member State preparedness is, at its core, the smooth flow of freight and trade across the Channel; a vital GB EU supply chain route”, he said.
Pointing to the figures from Logistics UK, the Liberal Democrats urged the government to negotiate with the EU to enable pre-checking of HGVs away from the UK/EU border.
He calculated that the £400 million that could be lost as a result of the delay could have funded more than 16,000 new nurses for the NHS.
Party’s Europe spokesperson Al Pinkerton said Independent: “It is completely unacceptable that the UK could lose almost half a billion pounds by failing to properly negotiate with the EU on the new accession programme. This is another barrier to growth.
“That money could have flowed back into our economy to boost struggling companies and public services at home. Instead, it now risks being lost in long queues as the flow of trade is halted at the border.”
He urged ministers to “urgently secure agreements to help exporters fast-track passage through the border”, while also urging them to “sign up the EU to the professional drivers exemption for British hauliers – ensuring our businesses are not affected by new restrictive rules on working in the EU.”
Tom Jenkins, chief executive of European travel association AtoA, said the phased implementation of the EES is a “complete mess”.
The EU is implementing the system in a phased manner, with participating states initially only using the system for a proportion of their arrivals. The deadline for full implementation is April 10 next year.
But Mr Jenkins said: “We’re not getting any information. All of them.” [the EC and EU member states] We are saying that it will be implemented from October 12 – it is not even remotely clear who will do it.
“It’s a complete mess. They can’t have a partial system, which is what they’re trying to do – starting enrolment, getting electronic records, even if it’s not a proper record. So, they’re going to register people as well as stamp their passports”, he said.
For most UK travelers the EES process will be carried out at overseas airports. UK passengers boarding international services from London St Pancras railway station, the Port of Dover and Eurotunnel’s Folkestone Terminal will complete EES checks in the UK.
New kiosks have been installed at those locations but only a few passengers will be able to use them from Sunday.
Julia Lo Beau-Said, chief executive of Advantage Travel Partnership, a network of independent travel agents, said: “For major airports in southern Europe, we recommend that travelers now allocate four hours to navigate the new system in these initial stages.”
He warned that “delays should be expected” at border controls when multiple flights arrive at the same time, and “we expect potentially large volumes of passengers during the initial roll-out”.
Ms Lou Beau-Said said: “This should be fixed in the next few weeks as staff and passengers become familiar with the new procedures.”
A person’s EES registration will be valid for three years, although their details will be verified on each visit during that period.
This system will eventually replace the need for passports to be stamped by border officials.
Mark Tanzer, chief executive of travel trade organization Abta, said: “In the long term, the EEA should make procedures for travel to Europe faster and simpler.
“Given the short term, given the scale of the operation, there may be some delays, especially at peak travel times.
“But countries will gradually step up their procedures and will have the option to turn off the system to avoid significant and long waiting times.
“We want countries to remain vigilant and use this contingency measure where needed.”
The Transport Department has been contacted for comment.