Smart Borders project to eliminate use of stamps as of 2017

The European Commission has proposed the "Smart Borders" project, which aims to place 21st-century technology at EU border crossings, DW reports.

The "Smart Borders" project is made up of two components, both of which would be implemented in all EU countries by 2018 if the plan is approved by the EU Parliament. One is the "Registered Travellers Programme" (RTP), and the other is the "Entry/Exit System" (EES). To comply with the system, all airports, harbors and at least two thousand border control checkpoints will have to be newly outfitted. To do so will cost approximately 1.1 billion euros.

RTP is intended to ease the immigration burden on non-EU citizens who travel regularly to EU member states. Travelers can register for the program, and, if approved, will pay a fee for a chip that allows them to pass through an automatic counter upon entering or exiting a country, with no further checks or controls.

The EES, by comparison, will record the biometric data of visitors to the EU and will then reference it against visa regulations on lengths of stay. The check is intended to prohibit individuals from entering the EU legally and then remaining there longer than allowed. Data will be retained for periods of six months - except in the case of non-EU citizens who have overstayed their visa allowance in the past. For those individuals, data can be stored indefinitely.

The EU Commission must now meet with the EU Parliament and convince parliamentarians that the border-control proposal will make Europe as "enticing" as they believe.