For the title of this post, I was wavering between the current one, and Brandenburg.2: Electric Boogaloo.
For some background, Berlin Brandenburg International Airport (BER) was slated to open way back in 2011, but due to a number of issues, only opened on 31 October 2020.
Similarly, the European Union’s has frequently delayed its plan to require of most non-EU citizens who have visa-free access to the EU, the filling out of online documents and a small fee. Australia, the United States, and Canada have had their own versions for years.
This plan, called the European Travel Information and Authorisation System, or ETIAS, has been bandied about the European Commission since 2016. ETIAS became legislation in 2018, and was expected to have been introduced to visa-free visitors in early 2022. Apparently, the COVID-19 pandemic had been used as the scapegoat for repeated delays, with postponements also occurring in January and May 2023. Brussels is now crossing its proverbial fingers for some time in 2024.
The four principal reasons for the creation of the ETIAS were:
- More and more tourists coming to the EU
- Rise in numbers of refugees/asylum-seekers (and fake passports)
- Terrorist incidents
- Data collecting
Thus, you will need to fill out the ETIAS if you want to see this, demonstrate even worse in-flight behavior, or admire regional architecture such as this:
It is expected that the ETIAS, valid for three years, will charge seven euros as a processing fee, and will permit visits for any 90 days within a timeframe of 180 days.
Once ETIAS is implemented, will you be less motivated to visit the EU, or is it much ado about nothing?
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