“Entry/Exit” border management system: EU IT agency takes legal action against IBM, Atos, and Leonardo

Brussels – The European Agency for IT Systems, EU-LISA, has taken legal action against the consortium responsible for developing and managing the Entry/Exit System (EES) at the EU’s external borders. The companies targeted are IBM, the French firm Atos and the Italian defence group Leonardo. The news, reported by The Guardian and first revealed by the Financial Times, emerges from the agency’s latest annual report. 

The appeal was lodged on 22 December 2025 with a court in Estonia, where EU-Lisa is based. In the report, the agency explains that, due to repeated delays in the delivery of the EES by the consortium, it has activated the contractual and legal measures available to protect its financial interests. The agency has not commented on the details of the case, but states that the proceedings relate to the development phase and that “the EES is fully operational.”

The European Commission has responded cautiously, explaining that it is not a party to the case, which, in its view, concerns the delays that have arisen during the system’s development and not its operation.

Since it came into service in October 2025, the EES has encountered a number of difficulties. During peak periods, many passengers have missed their flights due to delays attributed to the new technology and staff shortages at security checkpoints. Airports have reported faulty security screening equipment and recurring system crashes, with waiting times of up to three hours.

The EES is a system that strengthens controls on those entering the EU from third countries. Before entering the Schengen Area, which comprises 25 of the 27 Member States plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland, travellers must have their photograph taken and their fingerprints taken.