18/07/2025 (Agence Europe) – On Friday 18 July, the Council of the European Union formally adopted the regulation enabling the progressive launch of the new Entry/Exit digital border management system (EES) over a period of six months, starting in October. The EES will digitally record the entries and exits, passport data, fingerprints and facial images of third-country nationals making short stays in a Member State (see EUROPE 13676/8). The new rules also allow Member States to start making full use of the system from day one. All EU countries should achieve full registration, including biometric data, of all persons in the EES by the end of the six-month period. Until the end of the transition period, Member States will also continue to manually stamp travel documents. The co-legislators reached an agreement on 19 May. (SP)