eFTI and dangerous goods (ADR): what changes?
Adopted 2026-06-14 · ≈ 1 min read · 
edited by Dirk Baaijen
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.
Short answer: eFTI (Regulation (EU) 2020/1056) also brings the statutory freight information for dangerous goods under ADR within the electronic acceptance duty. From 9 July 2027 authorities must accept this information electronically, provided it is supplied through a certified platform or service provider.
What is covered
The eFTI Regulation covers the statutory freight information that companies must be able to present to authorities. Alongside the consignment note, this includes the information on dangerous goods (ADR), waste shipments and permits. eFTI does not change the content of the data: the ADR regime continues to determine which information belongs with a dangerous-goods shipment. What changes is the way that information may be exchanged and inspected electronically. The common EU dataset is set out through implementing acts, so that all Member States use the same data structure.
What changes in practice
From 9 July 2027 authorities are required to accept electronic freight information, including for ADR shipments. The condition is that the information is delivered via a certified eFTI platform or a certified service provider. For the road transport of dangerous goods this means that an inspecting authority must be able to view the ADR data digitally when it is presented in that way. The aim is fewer paper documents in the cab and faster, more consistent roadside checks.
What it does not change
eFTI enables electronic exchange, but paper remains allowed. A carrier who keeps carrying ADR documents on paper still meets its obligations. The acceptance duty runs one way: authorities must accept electronically, but companies are not forced to go electronic. The substantive ADR requirements — labelling, classification, packaging — also continue to apply in full. eFTI touches the information flow, not the safety rules themselves.
Read the main file: eFTI: electronic freight information becomes the norm. 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
What is a certified eFTI platform and do I need one?
eFTI data must be exchanged via certified platforms and service providers. If you want to benefit from the authorities' acceptance duty, you submit electronic freight information through such a platform. What certification means and how to choose.
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.
What is the common eFTI data set?
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.