Electronic Freight Transport Information (eFTI) Regulation

Regulation (EU) 2020/1056 on electronic freight transport information (eFTI) establishes a common framework for the use of eFTI across all transport modes. The aim of this Regulation is to encourage the digitalisation of freight transport and logistics to reduce administrative costs, improve the enforcement capabilities of competent authorities, and enhance the efficiency and sustainability of transport. The Regulation forms part of the EU acquis incorporated into Annex I of the Transport Community Treaty¹, providing the legal basis for alignment in the WB6.

Rail Reforms

Alignment with EU rail standards is driven by the EU rail acquis and the broader objective of creating a Single European Railway Area, which establishes common rules on market access, safety, interoperability, and infrastructure governance. The primary legal basis is Directive 2012/34/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a single European railway area², which consolidates and recasts earlier railway market, licensing and infrastructure legislation into a unified framework. Complementary interoperability requirements are set out in Directive 2008/57/EC on the interoperability of the rail system³ and its updated form in Directive (EU) 2016/797⁴ under the Fourth Railway Package. These instruments, together with systems such as the Electronic Vehicle Register, which aligns with the EU system, support technical harmonisation, cross-border/boundary compatibility, and non-discriminatory access to rail infrastructure. Effective implementation depends on timely legal transposition and on institutional capacity, underpinned by guidance from EU agencies such as the European Union Agency for Railways.

At the regional cooperation level, structured mechanisms have been developed to facilitate regulatory convergence with EU rail legislation and to support integration with the extended Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T). Key planning instruments include the Next Generation Rail Action Plan 2025–2027⁵, which outlines steps to implement nearly 80% of rail-related obligations under Annex I of the Transport Community Treaty (including EU acquis alignment) and strengthen frameworks for market access, safety, interoperability, infrastructure modernisation and cooperation between the region and EU Member States. Progress under the first generation of action plans (2020–2024) on rail reform was assessed as moderate by the Transport Community Secretariat and supported by EU instruments such as CONNECTA⁶under the IPA programme.

The implementation of EU interoperability and technical standards benefits from training and capacity-building initiatives delivered by the Transport Community Secretariat, together with the European Union Agency for Railways, enhancing regional administrative and technical skills needed to meet EU data and operational standards. Investment in rail infrastructure modernisation is being advanced through EU and international financial institution pipelines linked to TEN-T extension priorities, including corridor upgrades and rehabilitation projects.

In this context, the WB6 pursue alignment with the EU rail acquis through the Transport Community Treaty framework, which incorporates EU rail legislation via Annex I and provides a structured pathway for regulatory convergence and integration with the wider European rail system.