Estonia moves towards paperless freight transport

TALLINN - A funding round for the integration of the electronic waybill (e-waybill) has recently concluded, enabling 320 companies, with state support, to prepare for the transition to paperless freight transport. This move is set to shorten delivery times and reduce associated costs.

"The significant interest in the e-waybill demonstrates that Estonian companies are ready for this much-anticipated digital transformation. An increasing number of entrepreneurs are seeking ways to reduce bureaucracy, aiming to simplify their administration, enhance operational efficiency, and become more environmentally friendly," said Minister of Economic Affairs and Industry Erkki Keldo. He added that using the e-waybill can accelerate mandatory paperwork and, consequently, the movement of freight by several weeks. "Ultimately, everyone stands to gain, as shorter delivery times mean faster receipt of goods and can accelerate the entire process in several sectors, such as construction."

The e-waybill, a digitized transport document, was previously used primarily by logistics companies. Since mid-April of last year, the opportunity to apply for support to adopt the e-waybill became available to all businesses that could benefit from integrating their systems and processes with it. In addition to the logistics sector, applications were submitted by companies in manufacturing, wholesale and retail, construction, environmental services, mining (including peat production), technical and electrical equipment sales, and other areas of the supply chain. A total of 418 applications were received, with 320 being approved before the program's budget was fully allocated.

Adopting the e-waybill solves several problems associated with traditional paperwork. In addition to saving a significant amount of time, the digital waybill helps prevent common errors from manual data entry and eliminates confusion from illegible handwriting. The digital solution is also considerably cheaper and more transparent, as all information is visible to all parties in real time.

A regulation enabling paperless freight transport will come into force across Europe in 2027. "Estonian entrepreneurs are wise not to wait for the regulations to take effect; they are making the right choices well in advance. Those who transition to digitalization today will see results quickly and gain a considerable advantage over their competitors," the minister added.

The e-waybill support grant, managed by the Estonian Business and Innovation Agency, is financed by the EU's Recovery and Resilience Facility. The total budget for the measure was 4.7 million euros.