The first European Union Electronic Freight Transport Information (eFTI) implementation acts entered into force on 9 January, meaning that the EU’s member states can now set up IT systems enabling paperless freight transportation. The acts define how the new systems should be designed and how data is to be exchanged.
“The eFTI Regulation is an important step in the digital transformation of freight transport across the European Union. It creates the conditions for a shift from paper-based document exchanges to standardised electronic data on cargo transport for all transport modes”, the European Commission writes.
From July 2027 onwards, such data can be shared via secure, standardised, eFTI-certified platforms across the EU. The measure is supposed to save labour resources in data processing and having faster information exchanges. However, a fragmented situation such as the one in Europe might make a large-scale eFTI implementation difficult.
Saving one billion euros annually
The EU’s transport commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas stresses the positives: “Europe’s freight transport sector is preparing for the future. The introduction of Electronic Freight Transport Information is a big step forward, driving the digital transformation of our transport systems and improving efficiency. It could save the EU transport and logistics sector up to one billion euros per year. By creating common standards and making systems work together, eFTI paves the way for fully paperless transport in the EU.”
The next step in eFTI implementation is the adoption of further specifications by the EU, which is expected by September 2025. These are supposed to provide detailed functional and technical requirements for the IT systems and services to be used by businesses (eFTI platforms and eFTI service providers) and the rules for their certification.
Much to gain in intermodality
By January 2026, companies can start preparing for operations, and a year and a half later, in July 2027, the eFTI regulation will start to apply in full. Full-scale pilots (12 national and 8 international) should start this year in Europe.
For the rail freight sector, a full migration to a digitised freight transport information system might be easier than for other modes. This is because, when it comes to consignment notes, railways in Europe are connected to either the SMGS in the east, or in the west to CIM. Both organisations have developed a digital version of the transport document. Rail freight stands to gain the most in terms of intermodality: eFTI4EU will make intermodal services more efficient, especially when crossing borders.