eFTI from 2027: will paper transport documents really disappear?

9 July 2027 will be an important date for the digitalisation of European freight transport.

From that day, competent authorities in EU Member States will have to accept regulatory freight transport information when a business chooses to provide it electronically through a certified eFTI platform.

Does that mean the end of paper documents?

Not quite.

eFTI will not introduce a general obligation for companies to switch entirely to electronic documentation from 9 July 2027.

Businesses will still be able to provide the required information on paper. The main change is on the side of public authorities. If a company chooses to use an eFTI-compliant solution, the competent authority will have to be able to receive and process that information electronically.

At first glance, this may seem like a relatively small legal change.

In practice, however, it may create the foundation for much broader digitalisation of freight documentation across the European Union.

Key points

• eFTI stands for Electronic Freight Transport Information,
• it covers road, rail, inland waterway and air transport,
• from 9 July 2027, authorities in EU Member States will have to accept information covered by the legislation when it is made available through certified eFTI platforms,
• businesses will not be generally required to switch from paper to eFTI,
• if a company chooses to provide information electronically under the eFTI framework, it will need to use a certified platform,
• data will be made available to authorities through secure electronic access,
• eFTI can reuse information already stored in company systems such as TMS or ERP,
• eFTI is not the same as e-CMR.

What exactly is eFTI?

eFTI is not a single central EU system that every transport company will have to log into.

It is primarily a common European framework for exchanging freight transport information electronically.

Its purpose is to create harmonised rules that allow regulatory transport information to be shared digitally between businesses and competent authorities in different EU countries.

The data will be stored and processed through certified eFTI platforms. These platforms can be integrated with IT systems already used by transport companies.

The European framework specifically allows information from systems such as ERP and TMS, as well as data used for transport orders and freight documents, to be reused when creating eFTI datasets.

That matters.

The idea is not to force companies to copy the same data into yet another form. The aim is to make better use of information that already exists in a company’s digital workflow.

What will change on 9 July 2027?

The most important change concerns public authorities.

From 9 July 2027, the eFTI Regulation will apply in full, and competent authorities in EU Member States will have to accept information covered by the legislation when it is provided electronically through certified eFTI platforms.

Today, a company may already store transport information electronically, while inspections or administrative procedures can still depend on paper documents or country-specific systems.

eFTI is intended to reduce that fragmentation.

Electronic information provided in accordance with the eFTI framework should be accessible to competent authorities regardless of the EU country in which the inspection takes place.

The common procedures cover areas such as data identification, access for authorities and secure processing.

Will businesses have to give up paper?

No.

This is one of the most important aspects of the new framework.

Businesses will not be generally required to provide regulatory transport information electronically. If they prefer, they will still be able to present information in paper form.

The obligation applies to public authorities:

if a company chooses to use eFTI in accordance with the Regulation, the authority must accept that form of data exchange.

That is why 2027 should not be described as a "ban on paper". It is better understood as the moment when electronic provision of information covered by eFTI gains a common legal and technical framework across the EU.

If a business decides to use a certified eFTI solution, the competent authority will not be able to reject the information simply because it has been provided electronically.

eFTI is not the same as e-CMR

The two concepts are both part of transport digitalisation, but they are not the same thing.

e-CMR is the electronic form of the CMR consignment note, used between participants in international road transport.

eFTI, on the other hand, creates a framework for providing certain regulatory information electronically to competent public authorities.

The eFTI Regulation does not replace e-CMR and does not establish general rules for the electronic form of commercial freight documents.

Some of the information used in both systems may, however, overlap.

Data already available in a consignment note, transport order, TMS or ERP system can be reused when creating the information dataset made available under eFTI.

In practice, both solutions therefore support the same broader direction of transport digitalisation, but they serve different purposes:

• e-CMR concerns the electronic consignment note,
• eFTI concerns the electronic provision of legally required information to public authorities.

What could an inspection look like?

One of the more interesting aspects of eFTI is the way information will be made available to authorities.

The data does not necessarily have to be handed over as a PDF stored on a driver’s phone.

The system is based on access to information stored on a certified eFTI platform.

During an inspection, the operator will be able to provide a unique electronic identifier linked to the information for a particular transport operation. The rules allow that identifier to be presented in machine-readable form, for example through a code displayed on an electronic device or on a physical medium.

The authority can then access the required information through its own system.

Where a human-readable version is needed, the data should also be capable of being displayed on the operator’s device.

For drivers, this could mean less dependence on carrying and physically handing over multiple paper documents.

But only under one condition:

the data in the system must be correct, up to date and accessible.

Why are certified platforms required?

The EU does not want every business to send regulatory information to public authorities in a different format or through a different application.

That is why certified eFTI platforms are a core part of the framework.

The rules set requirements relating to areas such as:

• data security,
• access control,
• user identification,
• information integrity,
• logging of operations,
• access for competent authorities.

In November 2025, the European Commission adopted detailed functional requirements for eFTI platforms.

A platform certificate issued under the EU framework is intended to be recognised across all Member States.

For companies operating internationally, that means they should not need a separate system for every EU country.

Will companies need to replace their TMS?

Not necessarily.

This is one of the more practical aspects of the new framework.

The EU rules have been designed to allow existing company systems to be used. The legislation explicitly provides for the reuse of data from systems such as TMS and ERP, as well as systems used to manage transport orders and documentation.

That does not mean every existing TMS will automatically become an eFTI platform.

Several models are possible:

• a company’s existing system may be integrated with an external certified eFTI platform,
• the current TMS provider may add eFTI functionality,
• the company may use an external service provider.

Before buying a new system, it therefore makes sense to check what the current software provider is planning.

What is already in place, and what is still being developed?

The implementation of eFTI is spread over several years.

The first delegated and implementing acts entered into force in January 2025. They established, among other things, the common eFTI dataset and the rules for public-authority access.

Further rules adopted in November 2025 introduced functional requirements for eFTI platforms.

From 2026 onwards, platform providers and service providers can continue preparing solutions, while Member States develop their own infrastructure and procedures for receiving the data.

The process is not yet complete.

According to the European Commission’s timetable, the remaining implementing specifications are expected to be adopted by December 2026, including further technical requirements and certification rules.

For that reason, August 2026 is still too early to identify specific commercial platforms as the final market standard.

What could eFTI change in a freight forwarder’s daily work?

The biggest benefit may not be the disappearance of a sheet of paper.

A more important change could be the reduction in repeated manual data entry.

Today, similar information about a single shipment may appear in:

• the TMS,
• the transport order,
• the consignment note,
• customer documents,
• emails,
• forms required by public authorities.

Every additional manual entry creates another opportunity for an error.

If information already stored in a company system can also be reused when making data available to competent authorities, some of those repetitive tasks may disappear.

This is where eFTI could have the greatest operational impact.

What could change for carriers and drivers?

For carriers, one of the key benefits may be the ability to present required regulatory information electronically during inspections.

For drivers, the potential effect is less dependence on a complete set of physical documents in the cab.

That does not mean a driver will simply be able to travel without documentation from July 2027 onwards.

The required documents and information will still depend on the specific transport operation, the type of goods, the country, the procedure and other applicable regulations.

eFTI introduces a new way to present certain regulatory information to public authorities.

It does not automatically remove every other documentation requirement.

Is it worth preparing now?

Yes, but that does not mean buying the first system marketed as "eFTI ready".

Around a year before the framework becomes fully applicable, organising data is more important than selecting a platform.

A company can already review:

1. where the main transport data is created,
2. which information is still entered manually,
3. whether the TMS and other systems can exchange data through integrations,
4. who is responsible for keeping the information up to date,
5. where data and documents from completed shipments are stored,
6. what the current TMS provider plans to do regarding eFTI,
7. which processes are still entirely paper-based.

This is a good time to speak with existing software providers.

A company does not yet need to know exactly which eFTI platform it will use in 2027.

It should, however, know whether its current systems will be able to connect to the eFTI environment.

Will paper disappear from freight transport?

Not on 9 July 2027.

Possibly not for several years after that.

eFTI does, however, create something the European transport market has lacked until now - common legal and technical foundations allowing public authorities across the EU to work with digital freight transport information.

Businesses will still have a choice between paper and electronic solutions.

But if the electronic model proves faster, easier and better integrated with TMS systems, the question for many companies may eventually stop being:

"Do we have to move to eFTI?"

and become:

"Why are we still printing information that is already in our system?"

eXportsy’s view

Transport digitalisation has been progressing in separate areas for years.

Transport orders, consignment notes, customs processes, booking systems, tracking and settlements are all being digitalised, but often independently from one another.

The problem is that those systems do not always communicate effectively, while public authorities in different countries continue to use different processes.

eFTI will not solve all of that overnight.

It can, however, create a common standard for one of the most important parts of the process - providing legally required freight transport information to public authorities.

That is why 9 July 2027 will not mark the end of paper transport.

It may instead mark the beginning of a period in which using paper increasingly becomes a choice rather than a necessity.

FAQ

What does eFTI mean?

eFTI stands for Electronic Freight Transport Information. It creates a common EU framework for the electronic exchange of certain regulatory freight transport information between businesses and competent authorities.

When will eFTI become fully applicable?

From 9 July 2027, authorities in EU Member States will have to accept information provided by businesses through certified eFTI platforms.

Will paper documents be banned from 9 July 2027?

No. Businesses will still be able to provide information in paper form. Electronic submission through eFTI remains voluntary for companies.

Is eFTI the same as an electronic CMR?

No. e-CMR is the electronic form of the CMR consignment note used between participants in a transport operation.

eFTI concerns the electronic provision of certain regulatory information to competent public authorities.

Some data used in both solutions may overlap, but eFTI does not replace e-CMR and is not a new version of it.

Does eFTI apply only to road transport?

No. The framework also covers rail, inland waterway and air transport.

Will companies need to use a dedicated platform?

If a company chooses to provide information electronically under the eFTI framework, the data will need to be processed through a certified eFTI platform and, where applicable, a certified service provider.

Can an existing TMS be connected to eFTI?

That is one of the intended models. The EU framework allows existing company data from systems such as TMS and ERP to be reused.

The actual integration options will depend on the software provider and the eFTI solution selected.

Are all eFTI technical details already final?

No. Part of the regulatory framework has already been adopted, including the common dataset and functional requirements for platforms.

According to the European Commission’s timetable, the remaining specifications and certification rules are expected to be completed by December 2026.

Information current as of 13 August 2026. This article is for informational purposes only. Detailed technical requirements for eFTI are still being developed, so companies should verify the latest EU rules and European Commission guidance before implementing a specific solution.