On Thursday 6 February, the European Commission said it was aware of reports in the Financial Times that European prosecutors were investigating the role played by the Russian office of the French IT company Atos in the procuring software for the EU’s future entry/exit system (EES).
“We have been aware of and in contact with EU-Lisa since last year to ensure that all allegations are followed up closely. There has been no breach of security, the EES system is not yet operational and we have not yet started collecting data”, it explained.
The EES is a major EU biometric database designed to track the movements of travellers from outside the EU. “EU-Lisa is responsible for implementing this contract. And is responsible for ensuring that all safety requirements are met and that safety risks are excluded before the entry/exit system is put into service. We have full confidence in the agency’s ability to manage the security of the system and take the necessary measures. EU-Lisa will carry out a safety audit before the entry-exit system is brought into service”, the Commission stated. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)