On 9 September 2026, the Freight Forwarders Association of Romania (USER) organised two industry panels during the international exhibition TransLogistica Romania 2026, with Godfried Smit, Secretary General of the European Shippers’ Council (ESC), as special guest.
The first panel, “The Future of the Shipper – Freight Forwarder Relationship”, explored how digitalisation, new European regulatory requirements and sustainability are reshaping the relationship between cargo owners and logistics service providers. The discussion addressed eFTI and e-CMR, the EU Customs Reform, increasingly complex data, and product-compliance requirements, as well as sustainability and the growing importance of managing supply chain complexity.
From the shipper perspective, Godfried Smit discussed how expectations towards freight forwarders are evolving beyond the organisation of transport itself, increasingly encompassing areas such as compliance, data flows, digital integration, and supply chain risk management. The panel also examined whether shippers are prepared to accept higher costs or longer transit times for more sustainable logistics solutions.
The second panel, “Secure Supply Chains Require Trusted Partnerships”, brought together representatives of shippers, freight forwarding, secure truck parking, digital freight platforms, and insurance. The discussion focused on cargo theft and identity fraud, partner verification and due diligence, secure truck parking and route planning, insurance, incident reporting and cross-border information sharing.
A central message of the discussion was that trust in logistics must be supported by verification and robust processes. Participants looked at how companies can build reliable partnerships through better due diligence, information sharing, technology, secure infrastructure, and appropriate insurance, as well as how those partnerships are tested when a serious incident occurs.
Godfried Smit contributed the European shipper perspective on cargo security risks, the real cost of secure transport, and the need for better information sharing between companies and countries to help prevent cargo theft and fraud.
The event also marked a further step in the cooperation between ESC and USER, with the launch of a joint ESC – USER declaration in Bucharest, reflecting the shared interest of shippers and freight forwarders in stronger cooperation and more resilient, efficient, and trusted European supply chains.