The Dutch Senate adopted legislation amending Book 8 of the Civil Code to grant legal recognition to electronic bills of lading (eBLs) in maritime freight transport.

Bills of lading (BLs) serve simultaneously as a receipt for goods, a contract of carriage, and a title document establishing who may claim delivery of a shipment. The new legislation establishes that electronic BLs will hold the same legal weight as their paper counterparts, a principle known as functional equivalence.

Laure Jacquier, Director General of ICC Netherlands, on the implications of this development:

“Recognition of eBLs in Dutch law is definitely a step in the right direction. Dutch businesses can now start trading with digital paperwork with all the benefits that this brings: instant document transfer, accelerated trade flows, reduced transaction times and improved security,” said Jacquier. “On top of that, there’s the sustainability aspect: eBLs cut paper use and provide the traceability needed for carbon reporting.” 

The reform partially aligns Dutch law with the UNCITRAL Model Law on Electronic Transferable Records (MLETR), an international framework adopted in 2017 that provides the basis for giving electronic trade documents the same legal standing as paper ones. 

Jacquier highlighted the additional work required to fully take advantage of this legal development. “It’s important not to lose sight of the fact that only through full adoption of electronic documents for all documents of title can we have true digital trade,” she said. 

“We will keep working with our partners to mobilise the private and public sectors for full adoption of electronic document validity in the Dutch legal system,” Jacquier continued. “This includes identifying possibilities for Dutch businesses to start working on the digitalisation of trade documents, especially with one of our most important trading partners: the UK.”

13 other countries have domestic legislation based on or influenced by the MLETR, including France and the UK. 

The bill was first submitted to parliament on 12 May 2025. It was approved as a formality by the House of Representatives on 12 March 2026, and the Senate followed on 31 March 2026, also adopting the measure without deliberation or a vote.