Our Vision

The DigitalTrade4.EU consortium envisions a seamlessly interconnected Europe and neighboring regions powered by harmonized standards for the digitalisation of trade documents and processes. By fostering the digital transformation of trade, we aim to promote economic integration, enhance cooperation, and ensure long-term trade facilitation across borders.

Our Mission

To leverage cutting-edge digital technologies and internationally aligned trade standards to streamline trade processes, reduce barriers, and create more efficient, transparent, paperless, and resilient trade ecosystems across the European Union and neighboring countries.

Why Digital Trade Matters

• Efficiency: Digital trade processes reduce paperwork, lower costs, and accelerate transaction times.
• Transparency: Increased visibility in trade operations mitigates risks and reduces fraud.
• Accessibility: Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) gain access to global markets through simplified, digitalised procedures.
• Stability: Enhanced economic cooperation fosters political and social stability within and beyond the EU borders.
• Standardization: Aligned standards across regions reduce friction, ensuring interoperability and compliance in cross-border trade.

Our Key Initiatives

• Secure Technological Solutions: Guarantee the availability and accessible technologies for the entire trade ecosystem, particularly for banks and businesses.
• Support the European TradeTech Ecosystem: Promote innovative solutions to achieve reform objectives, leveraging the maturity of European TradeTech innovations.
• Framework for Digitalized Trade Documents: Foster the creation of a supportive legal and technical framework for the digitalization of international trade documents, ensuring open, interoperable, and reliable systems, including certifications and ledger management.
• Standards Development and Harmonization: Ensure the completeness and consistency of global data exchange standards. This includes alignment with PSD3/PSR for payments, eIDAS 2.0 for digital identity and trust services, and e-FTI for electronic freight transport information.
• Facilitate Standards Adoption for Data Exchange and Trust in Trade: Promote global the recognition and alignment of digital trade standards to enhance seamless integration, interoperability, and transparency across regions. Standardization serves as the foundation for trust, reducing fragmentation, fostering collaboration, and ensuring secure, efficient, and reliable trade transactions.
• From Legal and Regulatory Harmonization to Implementation: Bridge the gap between legal frameworks and their practical implementation, aligning digital trade processes with international standards to ensure seamless, efficient, and compliant cross-border transactions. This includes collaboration with UNCITRAL Model Law on Electronic Transferable Records (MLETR), which lays a legal foundation for recognizing digital documents in trade; WTO trade facilitation measures, which aim to simplify and expedite global trade practices and UN/CEFACT defining the data exchanges standards.

Political Cooperation with Neighbouring Countries

DigitalTrade4.EU emphasizes strengthening political relationships with neighbouring countries to ensure successful digital integration. Our initiatives include:

• Promoting Diplomatic Stability: Strengthening diplomatic ties through economic cooperation.
• Supporting Regulatory Alignment: Working towards harmonized legal frameworks to ease trade processes.
• Enhancing Regional Cooperation: Encouraging joint initiatives that benefit all parties involved.
• Mitigating Political Barriers: Addressing political challenges through continuous engagement and transparent communication.

Benefits of DigitalTrade4.EU

• Economic Growth: Enhanced trade efficiency drives GDP growth and creates job opportunities.
• Harmonization: Aligned digital trade practices reduce friction and ensure compliance with international norms.
• Sustainability: Reduced paper use and streamlined logistics contribute to greener, more sustainable trade ecosystems.
• Resilience: Digital solutions minimize disruptions and enhance supply chain robustness and adapt to future challenges.

Targeted structure of DigitalTrade4.EU

Lead organiSation

• leads the consortium, focusing on strategic partnerships and overseeing the alignment of use-case-driven work with consortium goals
• manages cross-functional alignment
• manages (consolidate) budgets
• tracks compliance with EU legislation
• international communication

STEERING COMMITTEE

• leads the consortium, focusing on strategic partnerships and over-seeing the alignment of use-case-driven work with consortium goals
• manages cross-functional alignment
• manages (consolidate) budgets
• tracks compliance with EU legislation
• international communication

NATIONAL & REGIONAL CONSORTIA

• one lead organization from every country (EU) or region (non-EU)
• participate in Steering Committee work
• planning of national activities
• drawing up and following the budget
• organize national communication in local language (workshops, etc.)

Stakeholders

• European Commission
• Customs Authorities
• Trade Associations
• Shipping Lines
• Banks and Insurances
• Logistics Providers
• Technology Innovators