A performing system for border control was tested, for a week, in the Border Crossing Point Calafat, within the Research and Development project “ABC Gates for Europe – ABC4EU”, European project in which Romania, through the Border Police, has the unique role within the project to ensure the land infrastructure necessary for implementation.
The pilot project, within which 14 partners from seven European states participate in, involves the use of an automated system at the land border, in order to check the travel documents of the passengers and vehicles, live capture of facial image, capture of facial image from the passport electronic chip, check of the facial image and their check against a database.
During 29 January – 09 February 2018, in BCP Calafat - TIBP Giurgiu the functionality of automated border control gates was tested at the land border within the R&D project “ABC Gates for Europe – ABC4EU”, coordinated by a Consortium of companies and authorities from seven European states.
The project, with a total budget of 16.8 million EUR, proposes a harmonized and modular approach for the automated control of the European borders. The testing of new technologies for the mobile devices allowing the border control authorities to check the European passengers, visa holders and the passengers from third states in a comfortable, rapid and safe way is aimed.
The objective is to test and deliver a solution, on one hand to facilitate the citizens transiting the EU borders and, on the other hand, to modernize, speed up and enhance the management of borders, and, in the same time, to observe the legal aspects related to the protection of data and private life.
Also, the Romanian border guards gained expertise as regards the state-of-the-art technology for document control, which was already tested in some European airports.
In other stages of the project, such equipment is tested in the maritime and air border crossing points in Spain and Portugal.
This research project coordinated in Romania by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, through the General Directorate for Communications and Information Technology, reunites representatives from the industry manufacturing systems and components, research institutions, universities, governmental authorities as well as end-users; 14 partners from 7 states are taking part within this project.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The total estimated duration of the project is 51 months (01.01.2014 – 31.03.2018), and Romania, through RBP, has the unique role in EU to ensure the infrastructure for the implementation of ABC4EU system at the land border, respectively at BCP Calafat.
The project proposes an automated system at the land border, which is unique in EU, to check the passenger and vehicle travel documents live capture of facial image, capture of facial image from the passport electronic chip, check of the facial image and their check against a database.
The participation of the passengers is made on a voluntary basis, thus meaning that according to the national law in force, the consent of the citizen is required. The tests carried out by the Romanian border guards are realized solely for the purpose of a qualitative analysis, complying with the legal provisions in the field, certified by the national authorities dealing with the protection of personal data.
In the Border Crossing Point Calafat there are flyers placed at disposal by the coordinator of the project. At the same time, the RBP personnel monitored the testing process of the system and provided the passengers the necessary information regarding this project.
