New EU border checks to disrupt Christmas food deliveries and cause delays for holidaymakers
13 September 2024, 18:13
Britain's food supply chain could face increased disruption in the run-up to Christmas from new EU border checks, a leading trade group has warned.
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The new scheme requires all non-EU passengers at Dover to have fingerprint and facial recognition checks - with the information being stored for three years.
According to Logistics UK, this will interrupt the flow of goods and cause increased delays for holidaymakers by creating mile-long traffic jams.
Calculations suggest the Entry/Exit System (EES) could increase processing times for a car with a family of four from less than 60 seconds to seven minutes.
Research from Imperial College London also suggests every extra minute adds about 10 miles to queues.
The EU is set to roll out the scheme on November 10 at a time of year when Logistics UK says the UK is most reliant on imported goods.
Nichola Mallon, head of trade at Logistics UK, told The Telegraph: “If the EES is implemented as planned, I'm afraid we're facing huge upheaval in the supply chain.
“The Government needs to take the lead now on raising awareness among the public, managing their expectations and signposting where they can go for advice.”
Dover is set to face delays of up to 14 hours, with Kent County Council warning jams could be “much worse” than 23-mile tailbacks seen in 2022.
Dover and Eurotunnel handled 54 per cent of all UK trade with continental Europe last year.
Logistics UK estimates the cost of border delays at £1.30 a minute with a 14-hour hold-up costing £1,100 in additional expense per truck.
However, there are delays to the development of an app which will allow British passengers to register their biometric details before travel, potentially smoothing the process.
For air travellers, Brits will be required to give their biometric data upon landing in Europe meaning airports in Europe will bear the brunt of the cost implementing new infrastructure to administer it.
The EES system will apply when entering 25 EU countries and four non-EU countries which are part of the bloc's border-free Schengen area.
The system will apply to all nationals of countries that are not in the EU or Schengen when travelling to the 29 countries.
