Flughäfen: EU verklagt IBM und Partner wegen fehlerhaften Einreisesystems

Brussels - The European Union has filed a lawsuit against IBM and two European companies: French IT giant Atos and Italian defense contractor Leonardo. The legal action stems from delays in developing an advanced border control system, according to internal communications cited by the Financial Times on Monday morning. The flawed system caused significant disruptions at airports throughout the summer.

The EU Agency EU-Lisa, which oversees the system, is suing the US tech firm, Atos, and Leonardo. The consortium repeatedly missed deadlines and challenged warnings and fines from the agency, as reported by internal communications to the Financial Times. The new entry and exit system requires travelers from outside the Schengen area to have their fingerprints and photos scanned upon their first entry.

This measure aims to identify individuals who have overstayed their visas or are wanted by authorities more quickly. Although the system's introduction was initially planned for 2022, it only fully launched this year. Its rollout has been plagued by software and hardware issues, including malfunctioning fingerprint scanners. These scanners failed to operate properly when fingers were sweaty, leading to hours-long queues at airports across Europe. Some EU countries are still in the process of procuring the scanners.