eFTI Platforms

An eFTI (electronic Freight Transport Information) platform is a digital solution that enables economic operators—such as carriers, shippers, and freight forwarders—to exchange regulatory information with competent authorities in a standardized and secure electronic format. This allows the private sector to share transport data with the public sector efficiently, reducing paperwork and streamlining communication across the logistics chain.

In line with DG MOVE guidance and the requirements of the EU eFTI Regulation (2020/1056), eFTI platforms ensure full regulatory compliance by enabling competent authorities to retrieve freight information made available by economic operators through a certified and interoperable system. Competent authorities can securely access this data via an eFTI gate, enhancing transparency, oversight, and operational efficiency.

An eFTI platform functions as a secure digital environment for managing and exchanging regulatory information with competent authorities. Economic operators can upload such information —e.g. consignment notes or dangerous goods declarations— to the platform, either through direct data entry or through machine-to-machine communication with existing ICT platforms (tributary systems).

Once uploaded, the eFTI platform structures the information according to EU eFTI standards, ensuring it is validated, securely stored, and made available (upon request) in a standardized format. This data can then be accessed electronically by competent authorities through an eFTI gate, eliminating the need for paper documentation.

By handling data validation, security, and interoperability, the eFTI platform reduces administrative burdens, accelerates inspections, and enhances regulatory compliance across Europe. In essence, it acts as a trusted intermediary between economic operators and authorities, enabling a fully digital and harmonized exchange of freight information.

An eFTI platform provides competent authorities with secure, direct, and standardized digital access to regulatory information related to transport operations. Instead of relying on paper documents during roadside checks or inspections, authorities can instantly verify the required data via an eFTI gate, ensuring full compliance with EU regulations.

This digital and interoperable approach significantly improves efficiency, reduces administrative burdens, and enhances transparency across the entire supply chain. Authorities gain access to real-time, accurate, and complete information, enabling faster inspections, better risk assessment, and stronger enforcement of rules and safety standards.

An eFTI platform enables economic operators —such as carriers, shippers, and freight forwarders— to replace paper-based processes with a fully digital, standardized system for exchanging regulatory information with competent authorities. Instead of manually handling documents for each shipment, operators can collect, structure, store, and share transport data securely with the relevant authorities through the platform, fully in line with EU eFTI standards.

This digital transformation brings significant efficiency and cost benefits, reducing administrative burdens, manual data entry, and paperwork costs. It also minimizes errors, accelerates operations, and can lead to faster border crossings and smoother multimodal transport.

By providing a harmonized and interoperable channel for information exchange, eFTI platforms help companies maintain regulatory compliance with EU and national requirements, while improving transparency, traceability, and data quality. Real-time data sharing enables authorities to track shipments easily and respond quickly to inspection requests.

eFTI platforms can have different implications depending on the stakeholder:

• For eFTI service providers, the platform represents new business opportunities and services.
• For transport companies, it provides a new environment for data exchange between economic operators and authorities.
• While the digitalization can introduce initial costs, it also delivers long-term benefits, including adoption of a harmonized data model across the EU.

Furthermore, eFTI platforms are scalable and future-proof, designed to interconnect with other certified platforms used by supply chain partners—ensuring seamless data flows across Europe as the regulatory framework evolves.