What is the common eFTI data set?
Adopted 2026-06-14 · ≈ 2 min read · 
edited by Dirk Baaijen
The common eFTI data set is the EU-standardised collection of data fields for statutory freight information, detailed through implementing acts. It lets authorities accept electronic freight data uniformly from 9 July 2027.
Short answer: the common eFTI data set is the EU-standardised collection of data fields in which statutory freight information is captured electronically, so that authorities across the EU can read and accept the same data in the same way.
What the data set does
Regulation (EU) 2020/1056 (eFTI) requires competent authorities to accept electronic freight information from 9 July 2027, supplied through certified platforms and service providers. For this to work, everyone has to speak the same "language". That is exactly what the common data set provides: a uniform structure of data fields and meanings, so that information from a carrier in one country is readable without friction for an inspector in another. The data set is not spelled out in the regulation itself but is established and detailed through implementing acts adopted by the European Commission.
What information it covers
The data set is tied to the statutory freight information that businesses are already required to be able to present. It covers, among others:
- the consignment note (transport and consignment data);
- dangerous goods under ADR;
- waste shipments;
- relevant permits and authorisations.
For each of these areas, the common data set defines which fields must be available electronically, so that the data is unambiguous and can be exchanged in a machine-readable way.
What this means in practice
The data set is the common foundation on which certified eFTI platforms build. If you work with such a platform, your data is supplied in this agreed format and an authority cannot refuse it simply because it is digital. Importantly, paper remains allowed. The common data set makes digital exchange possible and reliable, but it does not force businesses to switch. If you are preparing for eFTI, it is worth tracking exactly which data fields the implementing acts prescribe, as they determine the concrete content of the data set.
Read the main file: eFTI: electronic freight information. Or take the Transport & Logistics scan.
Sources
- https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2020/1056/oj
Regulation (EU) 2020/1056 (eFTI); authority acceptance duty from 9 July 2027.
Read next
Is eFTI mandatory for me as a carrier?
eFTI does not force you to go digital, but it requires authorities to accept electronic freight information from 9 July 2027. Paper is still allowed, but digital-first becomes the norm. What that means in practice for carriers, forwarders and shippers.
eFTI and dangerous goods (ADR): what changes?
Under eFTI (Regulation (EU) 2020/1056), ADR freight information is also covered. From 9 July 2027, authorities must accept it electronically via certified platforms. Paper remains allowed. What this means for transporting dangerous goods.
Data Act, eFTI or both: what affects my data flows?
Short: these are two different data flows. The Data Act covers data from connected products (vehicle, sensor, machine data); eFTI covers submitting statutory freight documents to authorities electronically. Both can apply to you at once.