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A. Tzitzikostas: “Saving 1 billion euros annually and reducing bureaucracy for freight transport and the supply chain”

by AI | 09.Jan 2025 | Europe in brief AI

The implementation of the new electronic freight transport information regulation (eFTI) comes into effect today.

The Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, in the Plenary of the European Parliament. Source: EP/Multimedia Center
In effect from today is the implementation of the new Electronic Freight Transport Information (eFTI) regulation, which will gradually lead to full digitization, eliminating paper use with significant benefits, such as reduced bureaucracy and inconvenience, lower costs, and resource savings for both companies operating in the transport and supply chain sector and for the EU member states.

The European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, emphasized:
“The European Union’s freight transport sector is preparing for the future. The introduction of the new electronic freight transport information regulation is a major step forward, as it promotes the digital transformation of Europe’s transport systems and improves their efficiency. It is expected to result in annual savings of €1 billion in the transport and logistics sector of the European Union. With the establishment of common standards and system interoperability, the new regulation paves the way for paperless transport across the EU.”

It is noted that the new regulation was a commitment by the European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism during his hearing before the European Parliament.

The new regulation will radically change the way freight transport is carried out within the European Union, as paper documentation will be replaced by electronic data across all modes of transport.

The digital transition will be implemented in road, rail, inland waterway, and air transport.

According to the related announcement, the reduction of bureaucracy for businesses, enhanced data security, promotion of more environmentally friendly transport, and the adoption of new digital tools and technologies in the supply chain will boost the competitiveness and sustainability of EU transport, which is highly significant for the economy.

Specifically, the summarized benefits are:

1. For Businesses:

  • Projected annual savings of €1 billion in operational and administrative costs for the EU’s transport and logistics sector.
  • Instant data exchange between collaborating companies through eFTI platforms, allowing more efficient planning of supplies, vehicle loading, and routes.
  • Easy access to data improves multimodal transport planning and decision-making, leading to a more reliable supply chain.

2. For Member States:

  • Improved efficiency with simplified compliance checks.
  • Lower costs and resource savings due to fewer physical inspections.
  • Higher data quality enabling better monitoring of the implementation of freight transport policies.

(09/01/2025)