Today, the European Parliament has given its final agreement to establish the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) and to strengthen the mandate of eu-LISA, the EU Agency for the operational management of large scale IT systems in the area of freedom, security and justice.
The legislative proposals for ETIAS and eu-LISA, put forward by the Commission in November 2016 and June 2017 respectively, were identified as political priorities under the Joint Declaration on the EU's legislative priorities for 2018-2019. Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship Dimitris Avramopoulos and Commissioner for the Security Union Julian King welcomed today's adoption.
The ETIAS authorisation is not a visa. Once operational, it will carry out pre-travel screening for security and migration risks of travellers benefiting from visa-free access to the Schengen area. When arriving at the EU borders travellers will need to have both a valid travel document and an ETIAS authorisation.
Next steps
Both approved texts will now have to be finally adopted by the Council. The President of the European Parliament and the rotating Presidency of the Council will then sign the texts into law.
Following their publication in the Official Journal of the European Union (EUR-Lex), the regulations will enter into force 20 days later, which will enable eu-LISA to start building the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) and make these new information systems operational by the end of 2021.
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