France pushes EES live
France says its EES (Entry/Exit System) rollout is on track for full operation — it will speed and automate checks for non‑EU travelers and require biometric data at kiosks on arrival and exit (connexionfrance.com). European border policy is also getting political: some Schengen members are weighing entry restrictions targeted at veterans of certain military operations, a sign of more selective bans across the zone (estonia.news-pravda.com).
The EU’s Entry/Exit System went into progressive operation on 12 October 2025 and the bloc’s guidance sets full implementation at external borders by 10 April 2026. (travel-europe.europa.eu) French reporting notes a tighter regulatory milestone of 30 March 2026 cited in national coverage, even as EU pages keep 10 April 2026 as the completion deadline. (connexionfrance.com) France missed a 150‑day rollout milestone on 10 March 2026 after multiple biometric kiosks failed at Paris‑Charles‑de‑Gaulle, producing reported arrival queues of up to 90 minutes. (visahq.com) French border police (PAF) say trials of e‑gates and kiosks at CDG, Orly, Nice and Lyon can process roughly 1,600 passengers per hour, a rate cited by rollout briefings. (visahq.com) Eu‑LISA has acknowledged deployment delays in a few states while committing in public briefings to ensure uninterrupted EES availability and support for national rollouts through 2026. (biometricupdate.com) In parallel to the technical rollout, leaders from Germany, Poland, Romania, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Finland and Sweden have jointly urged the Commission and European Council to prepare targeted visa restrictions or coordinated entry bans for former or active Russian combatants. (politico.eu) Estonia has already implemented national bans, blocking an initial 261 individuals in January 2026 and adding a further 1,073 people to its barred list in February 2026. (siseministeerium.ee) EU officials and some capitals say the EES’s EU‑wide biometric register will simplify identifying individuals subject to targeted bans at external borders and supporting coordinated visa measures. (travel-europe.europa.eu)
