Portugal and Italy will not suspend EES biometric checks for British travelers

The European Commission says blanket exemptions for specific nationalities are not permitted under EU rules

Portugal and Italy will not follow Greece in suspending biometric border checks for British visitors, the European Commission has confirmed.

According to The BBC, recent reports had suggested the two countries were set to exempt UK nationals from the EU's Entry-Exit System (EES) checks. However, these reports were not confirmed by authorities in either country.

The Commission told the BBC it was "also in contact with Portugal and Italy, as with all Member States, on the implementation of the EES" and added, "The Portuguese and Italian authorities confirmed that they do not intend to exempt any nationality."

Greece under scrutiny

Greece has effectively suspended biometric checks on British citizens at its border controls, despite Athens claiming it had "successfully started the full operation of the Entry-Exit System."

The Commission said it was "in contact with Greece to clarify the situation and recall the existing rules." It pointed out that those rules allow checks to be suspended for short periods at specific border crossings in exceptional circumstances, but do not allow "blanket exemptions for nationals of specific third countries and for an extended period of time."

Ongoing delays at European airports

The rollout of the EES has caused long queues at some European airports and sparked warnings that delays could worsen over the summer holiday period.

The biometric checks are required by the EU's new digital system, which was first introduced in October last year and became fully operational on April 10. It requires most short-term visitors from outside the EU and European Economic Area to register fingerprints and facial images each time they enter or leave the Schengen free travel zone.

Although the European Commission insists the system has mainly been working well, there have been widespread reports of travelers, many of them from the UK, experiencing very long delays at borders.

Passengers miss flights

In some cases, large numbers of passengers have missed flights as a result of the delays.

Last month, more than 100 people missed their EasyJet flight to Manchester from Milan's Linate airport after they were stuck in what the airline described as "unacceptable" passport queues. Other passengers due to travel with Ryanair from Milan Bergamo airport to Manchester also missed their flight due to passport control problems, the airline confirmed.

Airlines face additional pressures

The changes to the EU's border system come as airlines grapple with skyrocketing jet fuel costs and concerns over ongoing fuel supplies ahead of the busy summer months. Airlines have cut 13,000 flights globally for May, equivalent to 1% of flights for that period.

Holidaymakers have been urged not to change their travel plans as there is currently no fuel shortage in the UK and contingency plans are in place.