Electronic documents for freight transport

Briefing 03-05-2018

The large majority of freight transport operations within the EU still require and involve the use of paper documents. Electronic documentation in freight transport is used only in some Member States that base their decision on international public law, namely Additional Protocol to the UN Convention for the carriage of goods concerning the electronic consignment note which have been ratified or acceded only by 12 EU Member States. Despite various challenges linked with the introduction of the e-documentation in freight transport, the European Commission is expected to start an initiative on aimed at leveraging the potential of digitalisation in the transport sector in the second quarter of 2018.