The eFTI Regulation, issued by the European Parliament and the Council of the EU (EU) 2020/1056 on 15 July 2020, concerning electronic freight transport information, comes into force on 21 August this year. The act aims to increase the efficiency of freight transport and logistics. It establishes a legal framework that allows for the electronic transmission—between economic operators and enforcement authorities—of information on the carriage of goods by road, rail, air, and inland waterways within the European Union.
These regulations are intended to provide an impetus for the digitalisation of EU freight transport and logistics, with the aim of reducing administrative costs, improving the ability of the competent authorities to enforce the rules, and making transport more efficient and sustainable. They should also facilitate the exchange of information between operators and the relevant state authorities.
Once eFTI is actually in force, all public authorities in the EU will have to take into account electronic freight transport information, for example, in the form of an electronic consignment note via certified eFTI platforms.
Work on the relevant guidelines is still ongoing.
“However, the European Commission has not finalised the necessary implementing acts, including setting out the specific requirements for the eFTI platforms and service providers themselves. Once these standards have been set, stakeholders should adapt the specifications of their platforms and services accordingly and then undergo a certification process, i.e., a check of compliance with the legal requirements in this respect,” the General Inspectorate of Road Transport informed the editorial team of Trans.iNFO.
Guidelines under development
Draft implementing regulations establishing common procedures and detailed rules governing access by the competent authorities to electronic freight transport information are available on the European Commission website.
“The first eFTI implementing act, in accordance with the provisions of Article 8 of the eFTI Regulation, and the first delegated acts, in accordance with Articles 2(3) and 7(1), were adopted by the Commission on 5 July, 15 July, and 26 July 2024, respectively,” Enriko Laanemäe, coordinator of the EU eFTI4EU project, told Trans.iNFO.
Laanemäe added that the acts will not be published immediately in the EU Official Journal.
“In line with the European Commission’s recent processes, these acts are now open to public access via the European Commission’s ‘Have your say’ website. They were sent to the European Parliament and the Council when they were adopted. These bodies have two months from the date of this transmission to exercise their right of objection. Subsequently, the implementing act and the delegated acts will be issued together after this deadline has passed,” explained the eFTI4EU coordinator.
Laanemäe also explained when the digitalisation of documents in transport can actually be expected.
“With reference to Article 5(1) of eFTI Regulation 2020/1056: from 30 months after the date of entry into force of the first of the delegated and implementing acts referred to in Articles 7 and 8, competent authorities shall accept regulatory information made available electronically by interested operators in accordance with Article 4, including where competent authorities request such regulatory information as supplementary information. This means that the eFTI Regulation will enter into force around April 2027, unless the European Parliament and the Council object or ask for a postponement of this date. The exact date depends on when the acts are published in the Official Journal of the EU,” announced the eFTI4EU coordinator.
As for the requirements for the eFTI platform itself and the service providers, the European Commission is still working on them.
What documents will be digitised?
- According to the regulation, the following will be digitised:
- Documents relating to the contract of carriage and the goods—CMR waybills, CIM/SMGS, AWB, bill of lading, customs declarations;
- Documents relating to means of transport—vehicle registration documents, insurance;
- Driver documents—driver’s licence, driver card, certificates, and licences.
However, electronic consignment notes should look a certain way. They must be drawn up in a structured, machine-readable format via ICT-based platforms (EDI messages, XML, APIs) and contain strictly defined data:
- Place and date of issue,
- The sender’s name and address,
- Name and address of the carrier,
- Place and date of receipt of the goods for transport and the intended place of delivery,
- Name and address of the consignee,
- The description in common use of the nature of the goods and the method of packaging and, for dangerous goods, their generally recognised description,
- The number of items, their nature and their numbers, the gross weight or otherwise expressed quantity of the goods,
- Costs connected with carriage (freight, incidental expenses, customs duties, and other costs incurred between the conclusion of the contract and delivery),
- Instructions necessary to comply with customs and other formalities,
- A statement that the carriage is subject, notwithstanding any clause to the contrary, to the provisions of the CMR Convention.
Advantages of eFTI
Brussels is counting on the digital exchange of information to make freight transport and logistics in Europe smoother, more efficient, and more cost-effective.