State of play and barriers to the use of electronic transport documents for freight transport : options for EU level policy interventions : executive summary

The transport sector has experienced a large number of positive impacts as a result of developments in information and communication technologies related to operational improvements, route planning, fleet and cargo monitoring and safety as well as security issues in the (recent) past. These developments have improved the environmental performance of the transport sector and enhanced operational performance in logistical operations, leading to increased efficiencies and economic benefits. However, the uptake of digitalisation solutions for some of the burdensome administrative procedures in the communication between authorities and businesses is lagging behind in terms of what is technically feasible. In spite of numerous private and public initiatives that have been undertaken in recent years, the use of digital transport documents such as, and in particular, the waybill, bill of lading and consignment notes remain limited. This is primarily due to several operational and legal bottlenecks, which continue to hamper the (further) uptake of such solutions, as well as the overall competitiveness of the sector.