Accessible and available travel facilitation

From the Commission's own budget table for this call. Confirm against the topic page before you plan around it: these move when a work programme is amended.

Expected Outcome: Project results are expected to contribute to some or all of the following expected outcomes: Improved trusted, secure, and easier automated seamless facilitation for travel, border crossing through border crossing points (BCPs), and/or visa procedures with an integrated approach, minimized risk for bias, and accessible for all travellers minimising digital divides; Facilitated solutions with same approach adaptable by all European border control staff, in all conditions and border control points (BCPs); Reduced workload and improved safety, user experience and performance of practitioners’ staff involved in border management. Scope: Facilitation of travel and border crossings at border crossing points (BCPs) across the external EU borders went, and is further going, through developments thanks to updated procedures and regulatory frameworks and to innovative European technologies. From automated border control (ABC) gates to “no-gate” solutions and “seamless travel”, and with systems like the Entry-Exit System (EES), the Electronic Travel and Information Authorisation System (ETIAS), and the development of digital travel credentials and digital identity more in general, Europe has one of the most advanced, secure and facilitated border check systems in the world. Travel facilitation schemes are still not as fair, inclusive and accessible as they should be. There are several technical exceptions that for example make difficult for families, other groups of people travelling together, people with disabilities and/or reduced mobility, or with relatively lower digital skills, to smoothly use travel and border crossing facilitation solutions. This is a capability gap of travel facilitation systems that has an impact on both a fair accessibility and availability for travellers, and on performance and efficiency of the systems themselves. Travel facilitation systems should ensure both security and easy passenger flow, while remaining accessible to all travellers. On the other hand, both technical systems and procedures may have differences depending on the context or the BCP of application. This may be a limit for the performance and user experience of European integrated border management, especially in a perspective of a larger help to national members of the European Border and Coast Guard (EBCG) from the Standing Corps of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (EBCGA). According to the EBCG Capability Roadmap, legal border crossings should be as swift and simple as possible, while at the same time allowing a smooth crossing of bona fi…