EU reportedly sues IBM and two European companies over troubled border system
IBM•IBM•IBM•IBM•The European Union has reportedly sued IBM, Atos and Leonardo over repeated delays in developing its Entry/Exit System. The companies contested a fine and pushed back against deadlines set by EU-Lisa.
EU-Lisa, the agency responsible for managing large-scale IT systems, has sued IBM, Atos and Leonardo over delays in developing the Entry/Exit System, which electronically records the entry and exit of non-EU nationals at the bloc’s external borders. EU-Lisa said the legal proceedings do not affect the system’s functioning and relate to delivery delays during development.
In 2019, EU-Lisa awarded a six-year contract for implementation and maintenance of the central system to a consortium that included IBM Belgium, Atos Belgium and Leonardo. In an October 2021 letter, Atos Belgium and IBM Belgium contested the principle and calculation of a fine, arguing that delays stemmed from external factors including the COVID-19 pandemic. In February 2022, the three companies pushed back against new deadlines set by EU-Lisa.
