EU sues IBM, Atos and Leonardo over border system delays
The agency responsible for the Entry/Exit System filed a lawsuit in Estonia following missed delivery deadlines and technical issues.
The European Union's border technology agency, EU-Lisa, has filed a lawsuit in Estonia against IBM, Atos, and Leonardo. According to the Times of India, the legal action follows repeated delays in the development of the Entry/Exit System (EES), a biometric border system for the 29-country Schengen area.
The EES requires non-EU travellers to register fingerprints and photographs to help authorities identify visa overstayers and combat identity fraud. While the system is now fully operational, the lawsuit concerns development-stage delays and missed deadlines rather than current operations.
The Financial Times reported that the consortium of companies challenged financial penalties and warnings. In October 2021, Atos Belgium and IBM Belgium contested a fine, citing the Covid-19 pandemic as an external factor for delays. In February 2022, the companies also argued that revised delivery timetables were unrealistic.
The project has faced technical difficulties, including malfunctioning fingerprint scanners. There have also been questions regarding cybersecurity after reports that Atos used a Moscow office to procure software for the system. EU-Lisa stated it has found no security breaches, though the EU's anti-fraud office, Olaf, suggested further investigation into potential Russian involvement.
Atos and Leonardo declined to comment on the proceedings, and IBM did not respond to requests for comment. Estonia's Harju county court confirmed the civil case has been filed, though no hearings have been scheduled.