What is PEPPOL?
PEPPOL stands for Pan-European Public Procurement Online and is an EU-wide network for the standardized electronic exchange of business documents in public procurement. PEPPOL enables the cross-border exchange of orders, delivery notes, invoices, and other documents in uniform formats.
Origin and Organization
PEPPOL was originally developed as an EU pilot project (2008–2012). Since 2012, it has been managed by the non-profit organization OpenPEPPOL (based in Brussels).
Milestones:
- 2008: Launch as EU pilot project
- 2012: Founding of OpenPEPPOL
- 2014: EU Directive 2014/55/EU on electronic invoicing
- 2019: Mandatory e-invoicing above thresholds in Germany
- 2024: Increasing adoption in B2B sector
PEPPOL Network
The PEPPOL network operates on the four-corner model:
| Corner | Role | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Corner 1 | Sender (e.g., supplier) | Company sends invoice |
| Corner 2 | Sender's Access Point | PEPPOL-certified service provider |
| Corner 3 | Receiver's Access Point | PEPPOL-certified service provider |
| Corner 4 | Receiver (e.g., authority) | Public administration receives invoice |
Communication between Access Points uses the AS4 protocol (eDelivery). Each participant is uniquely identified via a PEPPOL ID.
Supported Document Types
PEPPOL standardizes the exchange of various business documents including orders, order responses, despatch advice, invoices, credit notes, catalogues, and receipt advice.
The most important format is PEPPOL BIS Billing 3.0 for electronic invoicing, based on the European standard EN 16931.
Legal Basis in Germany
- EU Directive 2014/55/EU: Obligation to accept electronic invoices
- E-Invoice Regulation (ERechV): German implementation
- § 4a ERechV: XRechnung as national standard (PEPPOL-compatible)
PEPPOL and XRechnung
Germany uses XRechnung as its national e-invoicing standard. XRechnung is a CIUS (Core Invoice Usage Specification) of EN 16931 and fully PEPPOL-compatible.
Distinction from XVergabe
- XVergabe: Procurement phase (tender to award)
- PEPPOL: Execution phase (order to payment)
Together they form the basis for a fully digitized procurement process — from need to payment (Procure-to-Pay).
Benefits
For suppliers:
- Cross-border business with a single access format
- Reduced manual processes and errors
- Faster payment processing through automated invoicing
- Access to public contracts across the EU
For contracting authorities:
- Automated invoice verification and processing
- Up to 60–80% reduction in administrative effort
- Standardized data formats for controlling and statistics
PEPPOL in Europe
PEPPOL is used across numerous European countries, with Norway as a pioneer since 2012, Germany using XRechnung as its CIUS, and France operating Chorus Pro as its national portal.
Practical Tip
For companies participating in public tenders, PEPPOL capability is increasingly important — not for the bidding phase, but for contract execution after award. Patterno helps you find the right tenders, while PEPPOL/XRechnung handles the subsequent invoicing.