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Government to fund port preparations for EU’s new border system

[ August 27, 2024   //   ]

The government announced on 27 August that it was making available £10.5 million of funding to support preparations at the Port of Dover, Eurostar and Eurotunnel for the EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES) digital passport checkes. Travellers from the UK and other non-EU countries will have to register at the border by having their fingerprints and photograph taken.

In order to reduce the risk of queuing and disruption, it aims to help ports to install the necessary EES technology and complete work to get their sites ready for the checks coming into force. Each port will receive funding of £3.5 million.

Dover will use the funding to expedite work on the Granville Dock Project, where the existing marina at the Western Docks will be infilled and used as a site for EES processing. The Home Office has also enabled French border officials to operate within an expanded border control zone at the Port of Dover, allowing more space to process passengers.

At Eurotunnel and Eurostar, the funding will be used to install kiosks, in addition to those already installed, along with testing to reduce the risk of disruption, and to support recruitment and training of staff to contribute to smoother EES implementation.

The government adds that the three locations have made significant progress in their EES planning and are now on track for a smooth transition ahead of implementation later this year.

Port of Dover chief operations officer, Emma Ward, said: “The funding is a welcome step towards the significant investments we are making to support government plans to prepare for the introduction of the EU’s EES scheme. We are doing all that we can to be ready with the facilities that will be used by French border officials operating the new system whilst we continue to work with the UK government to deliver more seamless travel between the UK and EU.

Getlink chief executive, Yann Leriche, added: “This funding will be used to test and add new technology on the UK terminal, that will be deployed during peak periods, providing more kiosks, if needed, in addition to the 106 already installed in the UK, plus the recruitment and training of staff whose focus will be to assist EES passengers.”

At industry group Logisticcs UK, head of trade Nichola Mallon, also welcomed the announcement, but pointed out that passengers using the border crossings still need education and information to minimise the impact of these new system requirements and the knock on impact on hauliers and freight.  

“Our members, companies which move the goods which the UK needs every day, are still waiting for clarification on a number of areas concerning the new border processing model which, if not ironed out, could leave goods stranded at the border.  Logistics operators urgently need the support of government to ensure that the UK’s borders do not become a barrier to the movement of goods.”

Earlier, the British International Freight Association in a BIFAlink TV broadcast on 30 July said that the delay to introduction of EES from October and possibly November will help avoid many of the potential pitfalls, said compliance director Robert Windsor.

This would more time in which to develop an ‘app’ for the new system and also allow travellers to pre-register on the system rather than carry out the process at busy terminals like Dover or the Channel Tunnel.

There had been widespread concern in the freight industry that car and coach travellers trying to unravel the complexities of EES would lead to severe delays to freight vehicle caught up in the queues.

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