Committee publication · Correspondence · 26 June 2026 · HC 126
Letter to the Chief Executive, Port of Dover relating to border control operations for the forthcoming summer period
From: Business and Trade Committee
Inquiry: UK trade with the EU
Summary
The Business and Trade Committee writes to the Port of Dover's Chief Executive seeking urgent assessment of border control readiness for summer 2026. The letter raises concerns that the EU's Entry/Exit System implementation may not be fully operational by peak holiday season, following May disruptions and queue backlogs that prompted French authorities to suspend additional checks.
Key findings
- May 2026 holiday period saw long queues and delays at Dover, leading French authorities to suspend additional border checks
- Full rollout of EES processes unlikely to be operational for summer, with key biometric kiosks operated by French authorities not yet in use
- Committee previously visited Dover and noted substantial investment and planning, but now questions system readiness for peak summer demand
- Committee seeks clarity on impact to hauliers, goods trade with Europe, and whether separate trade arrangements are needed
- Committee exploring whether UK should seek formal agreement with France to defer full EES implementation until after busy summer travel
Tone
CriticalTopics
border-controltrade-operationstransport-logisticseu-relationsport-infrastructure
Key actors
Liam Byrne MP, Doug Bannister, Port of Dover, Business and Trade Committee, French authorities, Sir Roger Gale MP, Mike Tapp MP
Notable line
“… the build-up of long queues and subsequent delays led to French authorities suspending the additional checks.”
Key Quotes
“… there have been a number of developments concerning the implementation of the EES which raise questions about the readiness of the system for peak summer demand”
“… the full rollout of EES processes at Dover will likely not be operational in time for the summer holiday period, with key elements— such as the biometric kiosks operated by the French authorities—not currently in use.”
“Given the importance of the Port of Dover as an entry point for both people and goods”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗