Negotiators from the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union reached an agreement on the proposal for a regulation on the electronic exchange of information in freight (eFTI) on Tuesday 26 November, at the end of the third session of interinstitutional negotiations ('trilogue').
"This is an important milestone for digitalisation, leading to greater efficiency of EU transport, and an important step in delivering our ‘Vision Zero Paper' [no death or serious injury on European roads by 2050 - ed.]”, said European Transport Commissioner Violeta Bulc.
As part of the third 'mobility' package aimed at modernising the European transport system, this new regulation aims to facilitate the circulation of digital information in freight transport, thus speeding up the digitisation of freight to make this sector more efficient and sustainable.
"Using electronic documents will greatly contribute to cutting red tape and simplifying administrative procedures for both authorities and our companies", said MEP Andor Deli (EPP, Hungary) Parliament's rapporteur on the subject.
As regards the major disagreement between the European Parliament and the EU Council on the voluntary or mandatory nature of the transfer of information by electronic means between economic operators and the competent authorities of the Member States (see EUROPE 12374/10), a compromise fairly favourable to the Council has been found.
It was in fact decided that the use of electronic methods should be optional, as the Member States wanted. However, the parties also agreed that the European Commission should carry out an assessment within 4.5 years to determine whether it would be more appropriate to require the transmission of information to be carried out electronically. Contrary to what the European Parliament would have liked, this evaluation will not automatically lead to mandatory electronic exchange. (Original version in French by Damien Genicot)