Guide
eFTI 2027 checklist for EU terminals and forwarders
Author: Outturn · Published: · Last reviewed:
From 9 July 2027, authorities in every EU Member State must accept freight information that operators make available electronically through a certified eFTI platform. The duty is on authorities, not on terminals or forwarders. But electronic data is only as good as the records behind it. This guide explains what changes and gives a 12-point checklist you can start now.
Not legal advice. Every date below was checked against the official EU source on 2026-10-06.
eFTI in five facts
| Fact | What the law says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Law | Regulation (EU) 2020/1056 on electronic freight transport information; it applies from 21 August 2024 (Article 18) | EUR-Lex |
| Key date | 9 July 2027: competent authorities must accept regulatory information made available electronically. Article 5 sets this at 30 months after the first delegated and implementing acts entered into force (9 January 2025) | EUR-Lex, European Commission |
| Who must act | Member State authorities, to accept. Operators may make information available electronically; when they do, it must be through a certified eFTI platform (Article 4) | EUR-Lex |
| Modes | Road, rail, inland waterway and air. Ship reporting is covered by EMSWe instead | European Commission |
| Data | The eFTI common data set and data subsets are set by Delegated Regulation (EU) 2024/2024; platforms are certified by accredited conformity assessment bodies (Article 12) | EUR-Lex |
Timeline
| Date | What | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 21 Aug 2024 | The eFTI Regulation applies | Regulation (EU) 2020/1056, Art. 18 |
| 9 Jan 2025 | First eFTI implementing and delegated acts enter into force; Member States may start building their IT systems | European Commission news, 2025-01-09 |
| Jan 2026 | eFTI platforms and service providers can start preparing for operations | European Commission, DG MOVE |
| Dec 2026 | The Commission plans to adopt the remaining implementing specifications (the January 2025 announcement had planned September 2025) | European Commission, DG MOVE |
| 9 Jul 2027 | Full application: authorities must accept information shared through certified eFTI platforms | European Commission, DG MOVE |
What changes for a terminal or forwarder
- Structured, machine-readable consignment data per truck and wagon becomes something you can show an inspector digitally, if you or your carrier use a certified platform.
- Your own records (weights, consignor and consignee, goods, dangerous-goods data, vehicle identifiers) become the source of that data. Gaps and inconsistencies become visible to others.
- In Lithuania, the Klaipėda State Seaport Authority reported in October 2025 that, within the eFTI4EU project, its systems are to receive dangerous-goods information in eFTI format and an electronic CMR is to become usable. Its cargo and goods information system is KIPIS.
Two neighbouring 2027-era rules are often confused with eFTI: since 1 June 2026 every consignment entering the EU by any means of transport should have a valid ENS in ICS2, and EMSWe has applied to ship reporting since 15 August 2025.
12-point checklist
| # | Action | Owner (typical) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | List your flows by mode (road in and out, rail in and out) and which carry documents authorities may check | Operations |
| 2 | Map where each eFTI data element lives today (TOS, ERP/1C, weighbridge, paper CMR, e-mail) | IT and operations |
| 3 | Measure completeness: the share of truck and wagon visits with every required element | Operations |
| 4 | Fix master data first: consignor and consignee addresses, vehicle and trailer registration country | Commercial |
| 5 | Check weight consistency: weighbridge net vs CMR or waybill weight within your tolerance | Weighbridge |
| 6 | Identify dangerous-goods flows and where their data is recorded | HSE |
| 7 | Ask your carriers and forwarders which eFTI platform, if any, they will use | Commercial |
| 8 | Ask your port authority or port community system about its eFTI interface (in Klaipėda: KIPIS and eFTI4EU) | Management |
| 9 | Check e-CMR status in the countries you serve: Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Poland and Germany are parties to the e-CMR protocol (UN Treaty Collection) | Commercial |
| 10 | Decide the export format: can you produce the data set as structured data (for example XML) without re-typing? | IT |
| 11 | Name an internal owner for eFTI readiness and review completeness monthly | Management |
| 12 | Re-check official dates and specifications after the Commission adopts the remaining implementing acts | Compliance |
What eFTI does not change
- It does not oblige terminals to buy or use an eFTI platform.
- It does not cover ship reporting (EMSWe) or customs declarations (ICS2, NCTS and export declarations remain).
- It does not certify anyone's data quality: your records stay your responsibility.
How Outturn helps, and where it stops
Outturn assembles the eFTI data set for every truck and wagon from your own files and shows exactly what is missing (check INT-06 for outbound consignments, on the Missing Document page). It cross-checks weight against the CMR (WGH-08), computes the CMR reservation window after a weight shortage (GATE-12) and exports XML validated against the eFTI4EU consignment schema.
Honest limits: Outturn is a control layer over your systems, not a certified eFTI platform. Hand-off to a certified platform or to KIPIS is not available today. Customs declarations are filed by the declarant, not by Outturn. The eFTI profiles in Outturn are pending legal review, so a completeness finding shows missing data, not a legal breach.
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Frequently asked questions
- What happens on 9 July 2027 under eFTI?
- From 9 July 2027 the competent authorities in every EU Member State must accept regulatory freight information that operators make available electronically through certified eFTI platforms, under Regulation (EU) 2020/1056.
- Are terminals or forwarders obliged to use eFTI?
- No. The obligation to accept electronic information is on authorities. An operator that chooses to make the information available electronically must do so through a certified eFTI platform; paper remains possible.
- Which transport modes does eFTI cover?
- Road, rail, inland waterway and air. Ship reporting at sea is covered separately by the European Maritime Single Window environment (EMSWe, Regulation (EU) 2019/1239).
- What is the eFTI common data set?
- The comprehensive set of structured data elements, established by Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2024/2024, that corresponds to all the regulatory information requirements in scope of eFTI; each requirement has its own data subset.
- Is Outturn a certified eFTI platform?
- No. Outturn assembles the eFTI data set from a terminal's own files, shows what is missing and exports XML validated against the eFTI4EU consignment schema. Certification is a separate regulatory track for platforms.
Sources
- Regulation (EU) 2020/1056 on electronic freight transport information, Articles 4, 5, 12 and 18: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2020/1056/oj/eng (accessed 2026-10-06)
- European Commission, DG MOVE, 'Electronic freight transport information (eFTI) Regulation': https://transport.ec.europa.eu/transport-themes/logistics-and-multimodal-transport/efti-regulation_en (accessed 2026-10-06)
- European Commission, 'Towards paperless freight transport: EU takes step forward in eFTI Regulation implementation' (2025-01-09): https://transport.ec.europa.eu/news-events/news/towards-paperless-freight-transport-eu-takes-step-forward-efti-regulation-implementation-2025-01-09_en (accessed 2026-10-06)
- Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2024/2024 establishing the eFTI common data set and eFTI data subsets: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32024R2024 (accessed 2026-10-06)
- Regulation (EU) 2019/1239 establishing a European Maritime Single Window environment (applies from 15 August 2025): https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2019/1239/oj/eng (accessed 2026-10-06)
- European Commission, Import Control System 2 (ICS2): https://taxation-customs.ec.europa.eu/customs/customs-security/import-control-system-2_en (accessed 2026-10-06)
- UN Treaty Collection, Additional Protocol to the CMR concerning the Electronic Consignment Note, status of participants: https://treaties.un.org/Pages/ViewDetails.aspx?src=TREATY&mtdsg_no=XI-B-11-b&chapter=11&clang=_en (accessed 2026-10-06)
- Atvira Klaipėda, 'Uostas su partneriais tobulina logistikos procesus' (2025-10-23): https://www.atviraklaipeda.lt/2025/10/23/uostas-su-partneriais-tobulina-logistikos-procesus/ (accessed 2026-10-06)