EU sues IBM and partners over border system delays

The European Union has initiated legal action against tech giant IBM alongside two other firms involved in the development of its delayed border-management technology. According to internal documents, the bloc's IT agency, EU-Lisa, brought the case before an Estonian court in December 2025. The lawsuit targets IBM, French technology firm Atos, and Italian defence contractor Leonardo, which formed the consortium tasked with implementing and maintaining the entry-exit system.

The rollout of the technology, which officially launched in October 2025, has encountered severe operational hurdles. Passengers traveling through various European airports experienced lengthy queues lasting up to three hours during peak periods, with some missing flights entirely due to a combination of system outages, malfunctioning kiosks, and border staff shortages.

EU-Lisa has launched legal action against IBM, Atos, and Leonardo over border system delivery delays.

The agency initiated the legal proceedings to safeguard its financial interests after facing multiple setbacks in the delivery schedule. While the Financial Times first brought the lawsuit to light, EU-Lisa declined to comment on the ongoing litigation. However, the agency noted that the legal challenge does not interfere with the functionality of the entry-exit system, which remains fully operational throughout Europe.

The European Commission clarified that it is not a direct party to the lawsuit. Officials stated that the legal dispute strictly concerns development delays encountered during the creation of the platform rather than its current day-to-day operations.

Designed to heighten security controls for individuals arriving from outside the bloc's border-free area, the platform mandates facial photographs and fingerprint scans for visitors entering the Schengen zone. These requirements apply to non-citizens traveling from countries outside the Schengen agreement, Ireland, and Cyprus.

Why it matters

The legal dispute highlights accountability issues regarding large-scale public infrastructure projects within the European Union. While the technology continues to process international arrivals, the court case addresses financial damages and delivery failures tied to contractors like IBM.

Travellers and international visitors are primarily affected by the operational realities of the border system, which has previously caused major congestion at airports. The resolution of this legal matter will determine accountability for the delivery delays associated with major European security infrastructure.