Digital transition in transport and logistic

NEWS 16.03.2026

Electronic Freight Transport Information – Regulation (EU) 2020/1056

For many years, operators transporting goods across the European Union (EU) have been required to present paper documents during roadside inspections or administrative checks. Regulation (EU) 2020/1056 on electronic freight transport information (eFTI Regulation) is intended to change this practice by creating a common legal framework for providing transport-related regulatory information to public authorities in electronic form. As an EU regulation, it applies directly in all Member States.

Although formally addressed to public authorities, the eFTI Regulation has practical implications for the entire logistics chain. It affects how carriers, freight forwarders, logistics providers and shippers organise, store and exchange compliance-related transport data.

Scope and Function

The eFTI Regulation applies only to information that undertakings are already required to provide under EU or national laws in connection with transport of goods. It covers multimodal transport operations including road, rail, inland waterway and air transport, as well as combination of these modes.

The eFTI Regulation does not create new reporting duties. Its purpose is procedural: it defines how legally required transport information may be made available electronically through certified eFTI platforms. The focus is therefore on the format, accessibility and verification of data rather than on the legal content of transport documents themselves. In practice, however, regulatory data often overlaps with commercial documentation, so the framework may influence how transport documents are generated and managed within supply chains.

The eFTI framework should be distinguished from instruments governing electronic transport documents used in private law relationships, such as electronic consignment notes under the CMR regime or electronic bills of lading in maritime transport. Those documents primarily serve evidentiary and contractual functions between private parties. By contrast, the eFTI Regulation concerns the electronic availability of compliance information for public authorities during inspections or administrative procedures.

Digital Transport Data

A central legal effect of the eFTI Regulation is the obligation imposed on Member States. From 9 July 2027, competent authorities must accept regulatory transport information in electronic form, provided it is made available through a certified eFTI platform. Authorities may no longer require the same information to be presented on paper if the electronic version meets the regulation’s requirements.

Businesses may continue to use paper documentation if they choose to do so. The eFTI Regulation does not impose a direct duty to digitalise transport information. In practice, however, once electronic information is accepted across the EU, operators engaged in cross-border or multimodal transport are likely to move towards digital solutions. Paper documentation in such operations often leads to delays, inconsistencies or verification issues during inspections.

Implications for Logistics Operators

For companies active in logistics, preparation should begin before 2027. The first step is to identify which regulatory transport information is currently submitted in paper form and where this data already exists in digital systems. The next step is technical: assessing whether existing transport or document management systems can connect to certified eFTI platforms, or whether external platform providers will be required.

Contractual arrangements may also need adjustment. Agreements between shippers, forwarders and carriers should clearly allocate responsibility for entering regulatory data, updating it and ensuring its accuracy. This becomes especially relevant in structures involving multiple subcontractors. Clear allocation of responsibilities reduces the risk of disputes once electronic inspections become standard practice. Companies operating in several Member States should also follow national implementation practices and administrative guidance, as inspection approach may differ during the transition period.

The eFTI Regulation is therefore not simply a move from paper to electronic documents. It establishes a structured system in which regulatory transport information can be provided digitally, accessed by authorities when needed and linked across multimodal and multi jurisdiction transport operations. For logistics operators, the main impact is less about formal legal change and more about organisational and technical adjustments required to make regulatory data consistently available in a verified electronic system.

Grzegorz Kłodkowski