• 4 min de lectura
• 4 min de lectura
The president of the Port Authority of Santander (APS), César Díaz, reported, during the presentation of the equipment acquired to provide automated control to the border posts of the Port of Santander, on "the culmination of the installation process and the success of its commissioning."
The device, which has been installed both at the Maritime Station and at the ferry terminal located at the Maliaño Dock, consists of eight modules or containers, each equipped with six self-service kiosks and one manual control post. In addition, there are 10 other posts located at the Maritime Station for the verification of passengers traveling without a vehicle.
Furthermore, the contract for auxiliary passenger assistance personnel service must be added. These tasks consist, among other things, of providing support to the National Police for the provision of information services to third-country passengers at the access points to passport controls in the Port of Santander.
Both actions, which represent a total investment of USD 6 million and are necessary to comply with the application of the European Entry/Exit System (EES) and the European Travel Information and Authorization System (Etias), are co-financed by Funds from the Instrument for Financial Support for Border Management and Visa Policy (IGFV) of the European Union and European Funds for Internal Security (FESI).
The installation of this new European system, mandatory from this year, is the result, as Díaz explained, of the "arduous work" carried out in recent months by the Port Authority, the National Police, and Brittany Ferries, to whom he wanted to thank for their efforts "to implement a project that will contribute to modernizing the management of external borders, improving the detection of overstays, and strengthening internal security, as well as improving the safety and comfort of passengers."
"Santander is an important gateway for passengers from the United Kingdom, as evidenced by the more than seven million travelers who have arrived through our port. It was essential to successfully implement the EES, also making it compatible with maintaining the Breton company's turnaround times," added Díaz.
Also participating in the presentation to the port community were the Minister of the Presidency, Justice, Security and Administrative Simplification, Isabel Urrutia; the Director of Planning and Development of Puertos del Estado, Manuel Arana; and the Chief of the National Police in Cantabria, Antonio del Amo.
The operation witnessed by those attending the equipment presentation event corresponded to the vessel Salamanca, of Brittany Ferries, which disembarked a total of 625 passengers and 377 vehicles, while embarking 492 people and 317 cars.
The Entry/Exit System (EES) aims to modernize and make more efficient controls at the external borders of the Schengen area through an automated digital record of entries, exits, and denials of access that replaces manual passport stamping and includes biographical data, date and place of crossing, and biometric data.
This better controls authorized stay periods, improves security, and streamlines travel, reducing general waiting times at borders through self-service options for travelers.
In Santander, the contract for the supply, installation, commissioning, and three-year maintenance of this equipment was awarded to the Temporary Union of Companies (UTE) NTT Data Spain-Idemia Technologies Ibérica and NYY Data Spain Sistemas de Seguridad, through a negotiated procedure without advertising restricted to companies approved by the Ministry of the Interior, with a budget of USD 3,964,610 and an execution period of 40 months.
After a three-year period, the APS will transfer ownership of the equipment to the Secretary of State for Security of the Ministry of the Interior.
Also within the framework of the entry into force of the EES and Etias systems, the Port Authority awarded the contract for auxiliary passenger assistance personnel service to the company Interim Services Solutions. The amount of the contract amounts to USD 2,066,157 and has an execution period of 36 months.
The investment in both equipment and personnel necessary for the implementation of the EES is USD 6 million, part of which will be subsidized by the EU.
