What is the Digital Transport Corridor (eFTI deployment)?

A digital transport corridor with the deployment of electronic freight transport information (eFTI) is the exchange of logistics data across physical cross-country transport corridors, including road, rail and inland waterways.

This is needed because logistics businesses that move goods and services across borders must interact with different logistics systems. Relying on paper documents in different Eastern partner countries and the EU creates barriers that hamper the instant exchange of logistics information between countries as well as between economic operators and authorities/administrators. In addition, the legal frameworks for the logistics processes and information systems being developed are not the same in all countries, making logistics processes even longer and more complicated. This translates into higher logistics costs and delays in the delivery of goods and services. 

To standardise and simplify information exchange procedures in logistics, the EU is in the process of establishing a uniform legal framework for regulating electronic freight transport information exchange – the eFTI Regulation, which comes into force in 2026. The EU4Digital eTrade thematic area is developing an action plan to implement a similar set-up in Eastern Partner countries. For them, implementing an eFTI-like system will not only ensure secure, transparent and efficient logistics information exchange between authorities and businesses, but also strengthen trade relations with EU countries thanks to the seamless cross-border exchange of goods.