Greece has announced new measures for the border crossings Evzoni (towards Macedonia) and Kipi (towards Turkey) to ease the chaos from the EU's new biometric registration system (EES). Anyone who has crossed the border by car in the last month knows what "waiting" means. Anyone who hasn't - will soon find out.

EES requires biometric data for every traveller entering or leaving Schengen, on top of the standard passport check. On infrastructure as old as the Greek border posts, that means extra minutes per vehicle, which in tourist season means queues of kilometres. Macedonia and Serbia have already filed complaints.

The measures from the Greek side split in two directions. First - reinforcing the IT systems on the ground for faster processing. Second - temporary technical and physical fixes (new booths, traffic rerouting, additional staff). The meeting in Thessaloniki was attended by representatives of the regional administrations, police, customs and local municipalities. It's a coordinated plan, but with an invisible effect on travellers crossing the border today.

Deputy interior minister Konstantinos Goulekas and minister for citizen protection Michalis Chrisochoidis have admitted the causes: "increased tourism and trade traffic towards Greece" combined with the EU biometric directive are creating "additional delays." Translated - they have a problem and they know it.

The specific question for Macedonia is - will the Greek improvements bring relief for the pre-summer period (June, July), or will they only be finished after the season ends? The Greeks have a deadline to adjust. Balkan drivers, as usual, wait.