eFTI in Europe: The new framework for the electronic exchange of transport information

The digitalisation of freight transport in Europe is entering a decisive phase. The eFTI Regulation (Electronic Freight Information) defines how transport data must be presented and verified electronically when dealing with authorities, ensuring security, interoperability, and legal validity.

In this article, we review what eFTI is, the role played by eFTI Gates, and how companies can prepare to comply without operational friction.

• What is the eFTI Regulation
• eFTI Gates: The authorities access point
• What changes from 2027 onwards
• Spain and the European landscape: Current progress
• Docuten’s proposal within the eFTI ecosystem

What is the eFTI Regulation

The eFTI Regulation establishes the legal and technical framework for the electronic exchange of freight transport information between companies and public authorities.

Its approach is significant for two main reasons:

• It does not impose a specific “document” (nor a single document standard), but rather a common model for accessing transport data.
• It focuses on data verifiability: information must be accessible with guarantees of authenticity, integrity, traceability, availability, and readability.

In practice, eFTI drives a shift away from the logic of “showing papers” towards providing structured, verifiable data during inspections, checks, or audits.

eFTI Gates: The authorities access point

eFTI Gates are the national access points established by each Member State, enabling competent authorities to consult and verify the electronic transport information provided by companies within the eFTI framework.

What an eFTI Gate is (and is not)

✅	❌
An official channel trough which authorities access information during inspections.	A centralised repository where information is stored.
A mechanism to verify authenticy, integrity and traceability in line with common requirements.	A company platform: the Gate is an access/query point for public authorities.

The result: Faster inspections, less friction in international operations, and a solid foundation for cross-border interoperability.

What changes from 2027 onwards

The eFTI Regulation states that from July 2027, Member State authorities must accept freight transport information in electronic format, provided it complies with eFTI requierements.

To enable this, each country must have its own eFTI Gate acting as the official access point during inspections.

What the eFTI model aims to archieve

• Reduced administrative burden (less paper, fewer, duplicate processes).
• Improved interoperability between countries and systems.
• Easier cross-border controls with greater traceability.
• Stronger legal certainty in information exchange.

Spain and the European landscape: current progress

In Spain, implementation is being driven through the SIMPLE platform, promoted by the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility as the national node for exchanging logistics and transport information.

At European level, national initiatives and pilot projects are accelerating. Among Spain’s closest neighbours:

• France has announced its national eFTI Gate, with operations expected to begin by the end of 2026.
• Portugal is participating in European pilot projects (such as eFTI4U) aimed at validating eFTI-compliant exchanges.

Important clarification: eFTI does not mandate eCMR

This is worth emphasising: the eFTI Regulation does not require the eCMR to be used as a single mandatory document. What it requires is that information be accepted in a structured, electronic, and verifiable format. eCMR is one possible way to achieve this, but not the only one.

Docuten’s proposal within the eFTI ecosystem

The arrival of eFTI Gates is not just about digitising documents, but about ensuring that electronic information meets legal, technical, and security requirements.

Docuten, as a Qualified Trust Service Provider, offers an end-to-end solution for issuing, signing, and securely storing transport documentation (control documents, consignment notes, and eCMR), with a strong focus on legal certainty and frictionless adoption.

Benefits for the transport sector

With Docuten’s solution, companies can prepare for the eFTI ecosystem securely and without operational disruption, thanks to:

• Integration with TMS and ERP systems, preserving existing operational workflows.
• Advanced electronic signatures compliant with eIDAS, issued by a Qualified Trust Service Provider.
• App-free signing: access via link sent by SMS, WhatsApp, or email.
• Guaranteed authenticity, integrity, traceability, and non-repudiation.
• Alignment with the eFTI Regulation, the eCMR protocol, and the eIDAS framework.
• Multilingual support for international operations.
• Expert support based in Spain, with personalised guidance at every stage.

At Docuten, we support transport sector companies throughout this transition to the new European model, ensuring regulatory compliance, legal certainty and efficient, future-ready digitalisation.

Contact us it you would like to review your use case and define the most suitable adoption path.