12/03/2024

C&W Logistics can assist you with transition to PEPPOL 

In addition to being a provider of logistics software, C&W Logistics has been active as an EDI provider for 10 years. But did you know that we are also a PEPPOL Access Point since 2 years? 

And did you also know that as of January 1, 2026, it will be legally required to send and receive all your B2B invoices via PEPPOL? 

C&W Logistics can help you with the transition to electronic invoicing. Don't wait any longer, contact us now so that this transition can proceed smoothly. 

What is EDI = Electronic Data Interchange? 

EDI is a way to electronically/digitally exchange trade documents such as purchase orders, delivery notes, and invoices between trading partners' software. Digital means that these trade documents can be automatically interpreted and processed by the software. By working digitally instead of with paper or PDF documents, work can be done faster, cheaper, and with fewer errors. 

Because each software package speaks its own language, there are EDI standards that provide a common language. Such an EDI standard describes what the format of such a trade document should look like. The format consists of semantics that define the meaning of the data that should be included in the document content. It also defines the syntax (e.g., XML) or structure/form how that data should be represented. 

As an EDI provider, we ensure the translation of a digital trade document between an internal format and a standard format. We also handle the sending and/or receiving of these electronic trade documents to or from the trading partner. 

What is PEPPOL?

 PEPPOL has been gaining traction in Belgium for several years. Originally, it was only relevant for government suppliers. Governments have been requiring suppliers to send PEPPOL-BIS invoices (standard format) via the PEPPOL network for several years. The obligation has thus existed for B2G invoices for some time. 

On February 1, 2024, the Belgian Chamber approved the draft law stating that as of January 1, 2026, this obligation will be extended to B2B invoices exchanged by companies. 

That B2B invoices must be exchanged in PEPPOL format is stated in Article 3, § 2bis 2° of the draft law: 

"The invoices referred to in the first paragraph comply with the standards established by the King regarding semantics, syntax, and mode of transmission." 

Although this Royal Decree does not yet exist, the explanatory memorandum is very clear about it: 

"As provided for in Article 53, § 2bis, first paragraph, new, of the Code, the structured electronic invoices will have to be issued in a format to be determined by Royal Decree [...]. As indicated above, it is intended to promote the PEPPOL-BIS format as the standard format." 

What if you already exchange EDI invoices in a different standard format?

In some sectors, companies have been exchanging electronic trade documents for decades. They use standards managed by sectoral standards organizations, such as GS1 for the retail sector or Odette for the automotive sector. It was long unclear whether there would be an exception and those companies would be allowed to continue using their existing electronic invoices after January 1, 2026. 

But Article 3 of the draft law is also clear about any deviations from the PEPPOL format: 

"The taxpayer referred to in the first paragraph who is required to issue a structured electronic invoice may deviate from those standards with the agreement of the parties concerned and provided that it complies with the European semantic and syntactic standards EN 16931-1 and CEN/TS 16931-2." 

So trading partners can agree to use a different format, BUT: 

• In terms of content or semantics, all data must be present as defined in the European Standard on the electronic invoice 

• In terms of form or syntax, a syntax must be used as defined in the Technical Specification associated with that European Standard. 

You could analyse whether all the data is present in line with the European Standard for each sectoral format. But that makes little sense if the format has a different syntax than UN/CEFACT XML or UBL, both of which are XML-based. In other words, formats based on EDIFACT are not allowed as exceptions. 

And let this be precisely the syntax that has been and still is the most widely used in the past and present… 

But let's be clear; even if there were still changes for certain sectors through lobbying, PEPPOL is the future. After all, every company has many trading relationships with companies from other sectors. Sectoral formats cannot be used for those transactions. An intersectoral format like PEPPOL is therefore necessary …