Italy Adopts the eCMR
As of June 28th, 2024, Italy has begun accepting the eCMR, becoming the 35th country to ratify the Additional Protocol to the Convention on the Contract for the International Carriage of Goods by Road (CMR) concerning the Electronic Consignment Note (eCMR). This milestone marks years of active progress in the ratification process. It modernizes and streamlines national transportation operations and advances the digitalization of European supply chains.
As the fourth-largest economy in Europe and with its pivotal location, Italy positions a vital hub for both domestic and international transportation networks. Adopting the eCMR will expedite Italy's transport digitalization efforts and bring it in line with global standards. This transition from paper-based to digital operations not only addresses current deficiencies but also significantly improves cross-border logistics, strengthening connections within the EU and worldwide.
Italy has been steadily moving towards accepting the eCMR for several years. Before its official ratification, several test projects were undertaken to implement and evaluate the advantages of eCMR. TransFollow, a leading provider in transport digitalization and eCMR solutions, actively supported the 'eCMR Italy' project led by Uniontrasporti. Together, we facilitated the testing and use of eCMR in Italy, contributing to the pathway for its formal adoption (see more details about this project). The proved results confirm that the eCMR offers significant benefits, including:
- Enhancement of efficiency and visibility
- Reduction of the environmental impact by eliminating the use of paper and consequently minimizing archiving needs
- Limitation of the potential for human error
- Possibility of using multilingual platforms for international transport
- Simplification and time reduction for accessing and recovering data
- Quick response in case of checks by the relevant authorities
- Faster billing process thanks to real-time proof of delivery
- Improvement of the quality of the distribution chain
As of now, 35 countries have officially adopted the eCMR. Here you can find the list of ratified countries.
