Conference on eFreight

Creating an e-Freight Roadmap for Freight Transport Logistics Background

Directorate-General for Energy and Transport, on behalf of the European Commission and in line with one of the main measures of the 2007 Freight Transport Logistics Action Plan1, wants to establish a roadmap for the development of an integrated ICT application that is capable of following the movement of goods into, out-of and around the Union. This concept is entitled e-Freight and will operate within and across modes.

A key determinant of efficiency of freight logistics is the capability to draw maximum benefit from information and communication technologies. In this, e-Freight denotes the vision of a paper-free, electronic flow of information associating the physical flow of goods with a paperless trail built by information and communication technologies. It includes the ability to track and trace freight along its journey across transport modes and to auto

Why do we need this conference?

To set a political signal as regards the importance that the Commission attaches to the issue of e-Freight and to give representatives of the logistics and transport sectors –many of whom have developed their own in-house e-Freight systems – opportunity to contribute, DG TREN wants to organise a conference, in Brussels on 17th February 2009.

Speakers:

Given the purpose of the event, i.e. to involve industry actors and to achieve agreement on a framework for further work, key participants for the following main groups will be invited to speak:

• High ranking public sector representatives, including the EU Commissioner for Transport, Vice President Tajani and the Director for the Trans-European Transport Network and Co-Modality, Mr. Jonathan Scheele,
• Leading IATA representatives showing how eFreight works in the air freight sector,
• Representatives from transport and logistics sector (to provide expectations for a European e-Freight initiative, systems/constraints to take into account).

Audience / Participants

The conference should draw the interest of representatives of logistics and transport companies, IT companies, the research community and public and semi-public bodies involved in transport policy definition and implementation.

It is expected that between two and three hundred participants will wish to attend the conference.

Related documents

Communication from the Commission - Freight Transport Logistics Action Plan (COM(2007) 607 final

Agenda

Presentations

Evaluation of the survey conducted during the conference

Evaluation (figures)

Conclusions