Originally Posted by GUWonder

It will indeed be implemented in full in some form (under some name or other) at some point in the future, but there is anything but a high chance that it happens before the latter half of 2021. I wouldn't even count on it happening in Q1 2022 at this point, but that is an expectation of mine that is subject to change.

Originally Posted by ETIAS Won’t Be Mandatory Until 2023, Official Sources Confirm

....
With the date when the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) finally comes into force approaching, an official of the European Commission has revealed new details related to the newest requirement for travelling visa-free to Europe, including the period when the scheme becomes mandatory.

As seemingly, the date the ETIAS comes into force and the date it becomes mandatory for almost every visa-free traveller are two different dates.

Commenting on the period that the ETIAS comes into force, the EC official said that the ETIAS won’t be mandatory, for at least the first year of its implementation for most of travellers, as the EU wants to allow travellers and border checks to adapt to the new requirement.

“For a period of six months from the date on which ETIAS starts operations, the use of ETIAS will be optional and the requirement to be in possession of a valid travel authorization will not apply,” the official said, adding that this period can be extended for a maximum of another six months.