FastPass- a harmonized, modular reference system for all European automated border crossing points

FastPass: the challenge

How to ensure the security of borders in a world always more interconnected? How to combine this need with a fast, simple and efficient border crossing for the passenger? How to organise the collection of relevant data without violating the privacy of travellers? How to deploy a process suitable for each border crossing point, whatever their size and their location – at sea, land or air frontier?

The FastPass project proposes an answer to these complicated and conflicting questions. Funded by the European 7^th Framework Programme, FastPass has gathered during 4 years key players of the entire ABC value chain – system and component producers, research institutions, governmental authorities, infrastructure operator, and end-users – to develop a novel, modular, and harmonised solution. 

The Consortium started to analyse the various requirements of the end-users (border guards and travellers). Based on this, and taking into account the ethical and legal implications, technologies were developed in different areas - biometrics, video surveillance, passport scanning. Those technologies were integrated in a modular way, resulting in a next generation eGate. The solution was tested at three different border control points – the Port of Piraeus in Greece, the Airport of Vienna in Austria and the land border crossing point of Moravita in Romania. Those demonstrations run over several months and attracted thousands of voluntary passengers. An in-depth evaluation of those tests was then done, providing interesting conclusion on the FastPass work. Please find further details in the video below.  

FastPass: the developed solution

FastPass results highlights

After four years of research, the FastPass project has achieved many results, which are reported in dissemination activities. Three major results are presented in the following. For further details, please have a look here. You can also consult our FastPass Best Practices Report "Recommendations for future ABC installations" and Whitepaper "ABC systems in Europe and beyond - status and recommendations for the way forward".