Which Countries Use Peppol?

OpenPeppol has membership from 37 countries. Twenty-nine of those countries are in Europe, including Belgium, Austria, Denmark, Iceland, France, Finland, England, Germany, Greece, Norway, Poland, Portugal, and the Netherlands.  Outside Europe, we have Canada, Mexico, Singapore, New Zealand, Japan, Australia, and the United States.

Peppol promotes efficient digitization of procurement documents across business-to-business (B2B), business-to-government (B2G), and government-to-business (G2B) sectors.

The European Union (EU) developed the Pan European Public Procurement Online (Peppol) to facilitate cross-border commercial transactions between businesses and government entities. Later, this purpose extended outside the EU to the United States, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada owing to Peppol’s interoperability.

However, not every country has adopted Peppol the same way. Some countries have mandatory Peppol regulations, while others use access points.

This article gives insight into how these countries have adopted Peppol.

By the end of this read, you’ll be clearer about the procurement expectations of OpenPeppol member countries.

Read also: Connect to PEPPOL and comply with international regulations

Which countries use Peppol?

Knowing which countries use Peppol helps you understand the e-invoicing requirements and networks that you need to use (as a supplier or a contracting public entity).

Each country has its e-invoice requirements and regulations for business-to-business (B2B), business-to-government (B2G), and government-to-business (G2B) transactions.

Understanding these regulations helps you know the format to use. Plus, it clarifies whether the countries encourage and support using the Peppol network for sending e-invoices.

Below you will find an overview of the e-invoicing formats and used platforms (including PEPPOL) for the most advanced countries regarding e-invoicing.

Countries with mandatory Peppol regulations in place

Cyprus, Ireland, Iceland, Luxembourg, Norway, and Sweden have mandated using the Peppol framework for e-invoicing.

Sweden requires that e-invoices meet the Peppol BIS Billing 3.0 standard. Companies using Svefaktura BIS 5A 2.0 e-invoice platform would need to switch to Peppol BIS Billing.

In Ireland, the Office of Government Procurement recommends that all public entities and contractors use the Peppol network for e-invoicing.

Most of the 39 OpenPeppol member countries have e-invoicing legislation and regulations.

EU member states adopted the Directive 2014/55/EU that made business-to-government e-invoicing mandatory.

However, not all the EU nations have made Peppol the main platform for public procurement. They don’t have regulations that are specifically defined for Peppol only.

But, countries like Sweden have made Peppol the preferred framework for public procurement. Sweden, Denmark, and Finland (except Norway) have their e-invoices systems linked with Peppol.

1. Countries that have integrated Peppol into their platforms

Belgium integrated Peppol into its platform to make e-invoicing in public contracting much easier.

In France, business and government entities have to use the Chorus Pro portal. The portal is interoperable with the Peppol network.

2. Countries that amended their laws to accommodate the Peppol framework

Some countries amended their laws or established new ones to govern e-invoicing transactions between businesses and public entities and businesses.

Bulgaria amended the Public Procurement Act to make it mandatory for contracting authorities to receive and process compliant e-invoices. Same for Denmark’s law 1593 of 18/12/2018.

3. Countries without Peppol e-invoicing regulations

Although Peppol is the chosen platform in Australia, Singapore, Japan, and New Zealand, there is no e-invoicing legislation or regulation yet.

The United States and Japan also do not have any e-invoicing legislation and Peppol regulations.

Countries that implement Peppol through access points

Austria and the United Kingdom are a few countries that use Peppol access points.

In Austria, you can send e-invoices to government authorities through Peppol access points.

The UK government has mandated suppliers and the authorities in the healthcare system to exchange documents through access points. These access points have to be connected to Peppol’s network.

Countries that established separate authorities for Peppol use

Multiple countries have established separate PEPPOL authorities for Peppol use. These authorities define requirements for Peppol use, administer accreditation, educate stakeholders, and support Peppol implementation in their countries.

Here you can find a complete list of all the PEPPOL authorities worldwide.

Countries that use Peppol e-invoicing format

Greece and the Netherlands encourage their public entities and businesses to use Peppol’s e-invoicing format.

In the Netherlands, suppliers are encouraged to use the PEPPOL BIS Billing 3.0 format for e-invoicing government entities.

Similarly, suppliers in Greece must use the Peppol e-invoicing format (PEPPOL BIS Billing 3.0) through the MyDATA platform and National Interoperability Center.

Countries that only use the Peppol platform

Cyprus, Iceland, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand are some of the countries that solely rely on the Peppol network.

Cyprus and Greece use the Peppol e-invoicing platform and the Peppol BIS 3.0 e-invoicing format.

Australia and New Zealand are still working on legislation and regulations that will guide the adoption of the Peppol framework.

Final thoughts

OpenPeppol has membership from Europe, including Belgium, Austria, Denmark, Iceland, France, Finland, England, Germany, Norway, and the Netherlands. Outside of Europe, we have Singapore, New Zealand, Japan and Australia.

Storecove supports the use of Peppol in these countries as a Peppol Access Point. Our Peppol solution comes with a quick and easy integration, high-level safety features and automated processes that ease the way you connect with other Peppol global users.

More information about the PEPPOL countries?

Contact us for more information or schedule a consult with one of our e-invoicing experts.

Read also:

• What is PEPPOL?
• E-Invoicing And The Use Of Peppol In Scandinavia (Denmark, Finland, Sweden & Norway)
• Digital VAT: Mandatory e-Reporting and e-Invoicing for EU
• Peppol ID Guide: From Registration To Sending Your First Peppol Invoice
• PEPPOL And Mercurius In Belgium Explained