In the time frame of June-August 2015, in two border crossing points located at the Romanian–Moldavian Republic border, B.C.P. Sculeni and railway B.C.P. Iaºi, a research activity coordinated by eu-LISA( European Agency for the operational management of large-scale IT systems in the area of freedom, security and justice)will take place. The activity will implement and test the project pilot SMART BORDERS.
The “SMART BORDERS PROJECT†targets the testing of the feasibility of the proposal launched by the European Commission, regarding the establishing of two new systems, with the role of, on the one hand, facilitating control procedures at the border for bona-fide third country nationals which cross the European Union border, in the context of future growth of the number of travellers and the necessity of carrying out border formalities efficiently and, on the other hand, of modernizing, accelerating and improving the management of the external Schengen borders, enhancing, at the same time, the efficiency of border checks and preventing illegal migration.
This pilot project is coordinated by the eu-LISA Agency (European Agency for the operational management of large-scale IT systems in the area of freedom, security and justice) with the voluntary participation of member states and in full compliance with legislation regarding the protection of data. Thusly, the tests are taking place in 17 border crossing points (land, air and maritime) in 12 European countries.Romania, through the Border police, is participating in the testing phase with two border crossing points: B.C.P. Sculeni and railway B.C.P. Iaºi . The tests have started on the 16th of June 2015 at railway B.C.P. and on the 1st of July 2015 at B.C.P. Sculeni.
The project consists of utilizing high-tech equipment to collect digital fingerprints, live facial images, facial images taken from the passport chip, checking of facial image and live capture of the iris.
The participation of third country nationals is done solely on a voluntary basis, and according to national legislation, the written consent of the third country national is required. Personal data will not be stored.The capture of this data by the Romanian border policemen will be done for the purpose of a quality analysis, in strict compliance with the legal requirements in question, certified by the national authority for personal data protection. Furthermore, the volunteers will be invited to answer, after the border crossing, to a few questions regarding the carrying out of the control.
Informative materials will be found at the border crossing points, provided by the eu-LISA Agency. Furthermore, the Romanian Border Police personnel in the mentioned border crossing points will be able to supply travellers with necessary clarifications regarding the purpose of this project.
In order to create the optimal conditions for the running of this project, the Romanian Border Police, under the coordination of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, has collaborated with the general Customs Directorate, the National Authority for the Protection of Personal Data, as well as the Ministry of External Affairs.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The European Agency eu-LISA estimates that by the zear2025 , the number of third country nationals that will cross the external borders of the Schengen space will double (approximately 300 million crossings per year), aspect which will result in increased wait time at the border.In order to respond to this challenge, The European Commission proposes, by 2020, a new generation of border checks, within the Smart Borders project, with the purpose of modernising and improving the management of the external borders, making a more efficient border control and preventing illegal migration at the same time.
In the year 2013, the European Commission launched the Smart Borders legal package which contained the proposal of establishment of two new systems with the role of facilitating and consolidating the control procedures at the border for third country nationals which cross the European Union Borders.
This project encompasses:
 The Registered Traveller Program, which will allow third country nationals, frequent and bona-fide travelers, to cross EU borders, following a simplified control procedure.   The Entry/Exit System (EES) which will register the time and place of entry and exit of third country nationals who are traveling in the European Union.In order to evaluate the technical, organizational and financial impact of the proposed systems, The European Commission has initiated, at the beginning of the year 2014, with the aid of member states and the European Parliament, an exercise meant to identify the implementation options of the Smart Borders package.
This exercise has two phases:
A study conducted during the year 2014 has identified and evaluated the best options and solutions. Its results were published in October 2014. A pilot project organized by the European Agency for the operational management of large-scale IT systems in the area of freedom security and justice (eu-LISA), ÂThe second phase of the exercise – the pilot project – will take place March-October 2015 and has as a primary objective the testing of technical options identified during the study, taking into account criteria such as: accuracy, efficiency and the impact on the border control duration. This testing aims to contribute to the defining of the best technical solutions for a faster and safer control process, hence ,supporting the objective of the European Commission of adopting in 2016 the new legal proposals for the creation of EES and RTP.
In this project there are 12 countries involved (on a voluntary basis and following a selection process): Finland, Estonia, Germany, The Netherlands, Hungary, Romania, Greece, Italy, France, Spain and Portugal. The tests will take place in 17 border crossing points (terrestrial, air and maritime).
According to the terms of reference of the project, there are 13 types of tests, as well as a series of questions that will be answered through operational testing, as well as research activities. The first tests have already begun on the 15th of March in Portugal, on the Lisbon airport.
During the running of the project, new
technologies and processes will be tested in report of the control
procedure of third country nationals which cross European Union
borders. The equipment will be supplied by various companies
contracted by the eu-Lisa Agency.
The participation of third country nationals is done solely on a
voluntary basis, and according to national legislation, the written
consent of the third country national is required. Personal data
will not be stored. The capture of this data by border policemen of
the member states will be done for the purpose of a quality
analysis, in strict compliance with the legal requirements in
question, certified by the national authorities for personal data
protection.
Within the context of this project, in the preparation stage, as well as the testing stage, the eu-LISA Agency works in close collaboration with the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) and the Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA). Regular reports will be given to EDPS, the European Parliament and various work groups of the Council.