On 18 May 2018, the European Parliament and the European Council published a proposal for a regulation on electronic freight transport information. In the proposal the European Union (EU) institutions do not pursue the concept of an EU wide Single-Transport-Document and do not include mandatory requirements for electronic freight documents. At the same time, the proposal seeks a harmonised approach for the acceptance of electronic freight documents by the competent authorities across the EU.

These are positive developments and reflect IUMI’s views as submitted to the EU’s public consultation in January 2018. Last month, IUMI submitted a statement to the EU’s Directorate General MOVE welcoming the approach outlined in the proposal and noting that the policies as currently drafted offer sufficient flexibility for industry stakeholders to develop suitable technology solutions.