What is the EU Electronic Freight Transport Information (eFTI)? It is a piece of legislation that requires all Member States to accept digital transport documentation if provided through a certified eFTI platform. It will come into effect on July 9th 2027, and it impacts road, rail, inland waterway, and air transport. Learn more.

Key takeaways
  • eFTI (Regulation (EU) 2020/1056) takes full effect on July 9th, 2027, requiring all EU Member States to accept digital transport documentation via certified eFTI platforms.
  • The regulation covers road, rail, inland waterway, and air transport, and applies across carriers, shippers, freight forwarders, authorities, and IT platforms alike.
  • The aim of eFTI is to reduce costs for businesses by authorizing digital transport documentation.
What is eFTI?

eFTI, or Electronic Freight Transport Information, is a regulation issued on July 15th 2020, that comes into full effect on July 9th 2027. It ensures complete digitalisation of freight documentation handling by requiring the Member States to accept digital documentation. However, to do so, such documentation needs to be processed via an eFTI compliant system.

The eFTI was first issued in 2020, with the years 2020-2025 bringing preparatory work and January 2025 being the date when Member States could start developing the first IT systems compliant with it. As of now, the timeline looks as follows:

  • By the end of 2026 – the European Commission will specify functional requirements for the eFTI systems and service providers.
  • From July 9th 2027 – the Regulation will take full effect, requiring Member States to accept digital transport documentation via certified eFTI platforms.

Read the full content of the eFTI
Regulation (EU) 2020/1056 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 July 2020 on electronic freight transport information (Text with EEA relevance)

What does the regulation change? eFTI explained for different parties

Carriers & hauliers

Carriers stand to gain the most from eliminating paper from their day-to-day operations. Due to the authorization of systems such as eCMR, they should expect visible cost reductions since they will no longer need to manage paper documents. The EU estimates these savings to reach about €1 billion annually.

What is more, this is also expected to accelerate road inspections, reducing them from 30-45 minutes to just a few minutes.

A road check will look as follows: instead of handing over a stack of paper, the driver will give the inspector a way to access the transport data electronically, for example through a unique identifier or a QR code. The authority then retrieves the information directly from the certified eFTI platform. Because the data is structured and available within seconds, inspectors can verify it much faster, which is why checks are expected to shrink so significantly.

Shippers & consignees

For shippers, the main change is that they will no longer need to print out all the documentation. This reduces manual labor, but also brings one extra benefit: improved real-time visibility. Since documentation will be handled digitally, it can be integrated into the visibility process and provide extra data for the shippers.

Freight forwarders & logistics service providers (3PLs)

For freight forwarders, eFTI integrates siloed data into a single source of truth, making it easier to manage large-scale logistics operations.

Authorities

Enforcement authorities face the core mandatory obligation set by the regulation. Starting July 9th, 2027, customs officials, road transport inspectors, police forces, and border agencies across all EU Member States are legally required to accept transport data in electronic format when made available through a certified eFTI platform.

IT platforms & logistics developers

Finally, IT platforms and logistics developers will need to adjust their transport document management software to meet the standards required for eFTI certification.

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Is eFTI the same as eCMR?

No, eFTI is a broader approach. An eCMR is a digital version of a specific consignment note. eFTI is broader, ensuring the documentation input into digital platforms can be verified during transport checks. Hence, an eCMR platform may not always be suitable for eFTI regulations or certified under this Act.

At the same time, this does not mean that all eCMR platforms or regular document management solutions will be obsolete. The case here is whether your software provider got the required certification – this goes down to aspects like data security, authorization methods and the way data is structured by the platform.

The bottom line

eFTI brings changes to the way transport documents are managed, but for most parties these changes should lead to improved visibility and cost reductions. The authorities and IT platform developers have the most work: the former need to prepare for digital document checks, while the latter need to adjust their solutions to the framework established by the EU.

References
FAQ

Is eFTI mandatory for all businesses, or only for those operating across borders?

The obligation falls primarily on authorities to accept eFTI-compliant documentation, while businesses aren't legally forced to adopt it.

What happens if a business doesn't switch to an eFTI-certified platform by July 2027?

Businesses can still use paper documentation. However, they will miss out on reduced operating costs and inspection speed gained through digitalisation.

Does eFTI apply only within the EU, or does it affect non-EU carriers too?

Non-EU carriers transporting goods within EU Member States will also need to comply when interacting with authorities that require eFTI-format documentation.

Which documents does eFTI cover?

eFTI covers general transport documents (e.g., those required under Regulation No 11), proof and records of cabotage operations, and additional documentation based on type of transport (e.g., waste or dangerous goods). It also includes security documents for air cargo.