I just learned about this. Starting next May (assuming all goes well), the EU will begin a new Entry/Exit System (EES) that will apply to third-country nationals (like us North Americans). Using a combination of fingerprints and facial recognition, it appears that it will function in a similar manner to the Global Entry kiosks we are using today.
No change within the Schengen zone, only into and out of it.
No change within the Schengen zone, only into and out of it.
The Entry/Exit System (EES) will be an automated IT system for registering travellers from third-countries, both short-stay visa holders and visa exempt travellers, each time they cross an EU external border. The system will register the person's name, type of the travel document, biometric data (fingerprints and captured facial images) and the date and place of entry and exit, in full respect of fundamental rights and data protection.
It will also record refusals of entry. EES will replace the current system of manual stamping of passports, which is time consuming, does not provide reliable data on border crossings and does not allow a systematic detection of over-stayers (travellers who have exceeded the maximum duration of their authorised stay).