eFTI and Port Community Systems: from port digitalisation to European regulatory interoperability

Over recent decades, the digital transformation of transport and logistics has advanced mainly through the digitalisation of documents. Electronic consignment notes, transport management systems, Port Community Systems (PCS), Cargo Community Systems (CCS) and single windows have made it possible to replace much of the paper documentation and improve the efficiency of many logistics processes.

However, the next stage of this transformation looks far more ambitious. The challenge is no longer just to digitise documents, but to ensure that the information they contain can be exchanged, reused and understood consistently across organisations, platforms and authorities at European level.

This is the context in which eFTI (Electronic Freight Transport Information) emerges, a European framework established in 2020 with the entry into force of Regulation (EU) 2020/1056, which is expected to be fully applicable across the EU in July 2027. Use of the eFTI channel will remain voluntary for economic operators, while authorities and Member States must accept valid eFTI information and put in place the systems their authorities need to consult and process it.

Like the EMSWe (European Maritime Single Window environment) in the maritime sector, eFTI seeks to facilitate the electronic exchange of information on land and air freight transport so that it is accepted by the competent authorities through certified platforms. The European Union estimates the savings linked to the eFTI initiative at €1 billion a year.

What really changes with eFTI?

eFTI takes a different approach. Instead of focusing on the exchange of documents, it sets up a common framework for sharing structured datasets that are accessible when required by the competent authorities. The common dataset contains data on the consignor, consignee, carriers, goods, weights and volumes, packaging, transport equipment, modes and movements, logistics locations and events, associated documentation and dangerous goods.

For example, data on the goods, the carrier or the place of delivery can be reused in different logistics processes without having to be entered again in each form or technology platform.

The aim is to harmonise the way this information is presented, consulted and processed across Europe. Several European and national acts have been harmonised, resulting in more than 170 subsets and more than 500 unique data elements, based on the UN/CEFACT Multimodal Transport Reference Data Model.

The most relevant technical and governance principles are:

1. Structured, reusable data, organised into a common dataset and subsets legally linked to each inspection.
2. Decentralised exchange: the data remains on the eFTI platform.
3. Authenticated, authorised and selective access, limited to the subsets the official is entitled to consult.
4. Traceability, through operation logs, retention of previous values and access logs for authorities and business users.
5. Confidentiality and security, including protection of commercial data, GDPR, resilience, recovery and storage under the jurisdiction of the EU or its Member States.
6. Interoperability and technological neutrality, through common standards that make it easier to connect systems.

What role can PCS play?

PCS, CCS and other community platforms have spent years solving problems closely related to eFTI's objectives: connecting public and private stakeholders, enabling secure information exchange, reducing duplication, standardising processes, improving the visibility of operations and fostering interoperability between organisations.

This experience puts PCS in a strong position to contribute to the roll-out of eFTI. Depending on each port's strategy and maturity, several paths open up to take advantage of this new paradigm. Some of the most relevant opportunities for PCS could be:

1. Taking on one or more roles within the eFTI ecosystem, for example, adapting certain PCS capabilities for certification as an eFTI platform or providing associated services through a certified eFTI service provider.
2. Value-added services based on eFTI data: traceability, multimodal planning, arrival forecasts and environmental indicators, provided the access and consent framework allows it.
3. An aggregator/intermediary role in the hinterland, acting as an interface between operators (shippers, carriers, forwarders) and the eFTI platform or the national eFTI Gate. The PCS could also act as the link with the EMSWe to offer an integrated maritime–hinterland service, given that the EMSWe covers port call formalities and eFTI covers cargo information and the associated land transport.

However, there is no single model that fits every PCS. Some may consider adopting new eFTI-related capabilities, while others will act as a data source, integration layer or facilitator for their port community. The decision should be based on an analysis of existing processes, functional coverage, technology architecture, data quality and the governance model of each port ecosystem.

At European level, a notable initiative that has addressed this kind of analysis is the European eFTI4EU project, which includes a Finnish pilot called ‘Maritime Single Window – eFTI pilot’. This pilot explored how to connect eFTI information with existing maritime processes through Finland's EMSWe, avoiding data duplication between port calls and hinterland operations.

At national level, Spain has the SIMPLE platform, promoted by Puertos del Estado, which is the Spanish initiative most directly linked to structuring the national ecosystem. Its objectives include becoming the national eFTI Gate and obtaining certification as an eFTI platform.

The electronic administrative control document (DeCA), mandatory in Spain for certifying and enabling the administrative control of public road freight transport, is compatible with eFTI, but does not in itself amount to certification as an eFTI platform under the European Regulation. The key question will be how to map DeCA data to the data required by eFTI, so as to avoid duplication and allow the same information to serve both national and European compliance.