eFTI and e-CMR: what changes for your CMR data before 2027

On 9 July 2027, the EU eFTI Regulation (2020/1056) takes full effect — from that date, Member State authorities must accept electronic freight transport information submitted through certified platforms. Paper CMR won't disappear overnight, but the direction is set, and decision-makers at logistics companies are already raising this question now, not in spring 2027.

What's actually changing

The regulation doesn't force companies to digitize — it obligates authorities to accept electronic data when an operator chooses to submit it via a certified eFTI platform. The first implementing acts entered into force in January 2025. Through 2026, platforms and service providers can prepare for operation, and authorities may voluntarily begin accepting data for testing purposes. The remaining technical specifications are expected to be finalized by December 2026.

A closely related process is e-CMR — the electronic consignment note under the 2008 Additional Protocol to the CMR Convention. It has been legally valid since 2011 but saw limited adoption due to missing technical rules and the absence of a common EU platform. Industry expectations point to 2026 as the practical turning point for wider e-CMR adoption, with full uptake around 2029.

Why this matters to a forwarder now, not in 2027

Two reasons, not one:

1. The data structure is changing. The eFTI common data set is built on the UN/CEFACT Multi-Modal Transport Reference Data Model, aligned with the EU Customs Code data model. That means your CMR data will need to fit a specific, standardized structure — not whatever internal format you use today.
2. The window for choosing is closing. As one industry source puts it — carriers who certify early will, in the second half of 2026, be telling their customers which system to connect to. Whoever isn't ready gets handed a decision, rather than making one.

What this means in practice

You don't need to become a certified eFTI platform — that's an expensive, complex undertaking meant for large infrastructure providers, not every logistics company. What you need is different: your CMR data should already be structured today in a form you can move into any certified platform once you choose one.

That's exactly the line we draw ourselves: data extraction and structuring — yes; legal document certification or platform status — no, at least until the technical specifications are finalized.

How to prepare now

• Review how your CMR data is currently stored — can it be exported in structured form, or is it still sitting in paper or disconnected PDFs?
• Don't rush to pick a specific eFTI platform yet — specifications are still changing through the end of 2026.
• Make sure whatever digitization solution you use today allows the output format to be reconfigured later — the standard isn't final yet.