The new system, whose launch date has not yet been announced, may even increase wait times at the border between the UK and France, according to EU Helpers.
By collecting information about non-EU citizens entering and departing the territory of the EU and the Schengen Area, the EES is a new border system that the EU aims to use to modernize the management of external borders. The EU hopes to increase security for both its inhabitants and visitors through it.
After its implementation, the equipment at EU borders will take fingerprints and facial biometrics from people entering the country for the first time. Travelers will subsequently find it simpler to cross borders since they will simply need to scan their passports on subsequent journeys.
Despite the EU's hopes that the system will reduce wait times at its external borders, Cour des Comptes states in its report that the lines will be lengthier because initial registration requires the collection of photos and fingerprints.
The survey states that, "even though the average Eurostar check-in time has increased since Brexit, doubling or even tripling the waiting time could drive some travelers to opt for a plane."
In order to make it easier for travelers to register with the system, France has reportedly bought 544 data kiosks and 250 tablets for installation at its exterior orders, according to the British publication The Telegraph.
The technique was previously evaluated by the authorities, who came to the conclusion that it would take two extra minutes for each passenger to register at border crossings via ferry port or airport.
For UK officials in the past, the anticipated increase in wait times for British nationals traveling to the EU was a major issue. The matter had been brought up during the Justice and Home Affairs Committee's discussion of the two new EU border management systems, the ETIAS and the EES, during the UK Lords Committee meeting in November of last year.
Tim Reardon, who oversees the Dover Harbour Board's EU exit strategy, noted at the time that in addition to waiting times growing longer, travelers would also need to exit their vehicles to complete the check.
"There is no way to do a biometric check without requiring everyone to exit the car... You're in the thick of live traffic, so it's the one thing on our site that cannot happen. It would be the same as requesting that drivers exit their vehicles at a toll booth on a highway. He had said, "It's inherently hazardous and it can't happen.
A collection of remarks from the authorities in charge of managing the EES in Member States regarding the outcomes of testing the system at their borders was issued by the General Secretariat of the Council of the EU in the same month.
A significant portion of them had stated at the time that processing times for border checks would increase, with Austrian officials anticipating procedure times "to double compared to the current situation." Process times would dramatically lengthen, according to German authorities, and similar judgments have been made by the other member states as well.