A High-Level
seminar on ETIAS co-organised by eu-LISA, Europol, the European Commission and
Frontex, took place in Warsaw on 21 January 2019.
The aim of the
seminar was twofold: 1) to raise awareness on the project and the various
stakeholder roles and 2) to help Member States move forward with their decision
making processes on organisational matters.
Member State
representation was high with representatives coming mostly from ministries,
police and border guard forces as well as SIRENE authorities. Including
participants from the organising institutions, there were close to 100
attendees.
Krum Garkov,
Executive Director of eu-LISA, explained that the meeting was taking place at
the right time as the need to map out tasks and prepare is now. ETIAS, he
noted, is arguably the most complex project currently underway in terms of
border management and requires close collaboration. Mr Garkov emphasised that
ETIAS was about more than technology, as it will change how border guards work
and have significant effects on the travel industry as a whole.
The European
Commission emphasised the important work that Member States need to be ready
for in terms of connecting to the ETIAS system whilst noting the pressure to
complete developments within the set timeframe.
Frontex expressed
their appreciation for the support of the organising parties and their spirit
of constructive cooperation that would be vital for further progress with
ETIAS.
Europol noted
from the outset their full commitment to and engagement in the cooperative work
to come on ETIAS, noting it to be an important milestone on the way to interoperability.
Member States
appreciated the seminar and the opportunity to compare their plans and
readiness with one another with regard to implementing ETIAS within their
national environments.
A similar seminar will be held later this year during
which further practicalities will be discussed and shared.
