PEPPOL is defined as the technical specifications that can be implemented in existing Business Applications to make them interoperable between the systems connected across the e-Delivery Network.

PEPPOL Access Points connect users to the PEPPOL network and exchange electronic documents based on the PEPPOL specifications. Buyers and suppliers are free to choose their preferred single Access Point provider to connect to all PEPPOL participants already on the network.

OpenPEPPOL is a non-profit international association under Belgian law (Association Internationale Sans But Lucratif – AISBL) and consists of both public sector and private members. The association has assumed full responsibility for the development and maintenance of the PEPPOL specifications, building blocks and its services and implementation across Europe.

PEPPOL is based on three major pillars:

• PEPPOL eDelivery Network
• PEPPOL Business Interoperability Specifications ‘BIS’
• PEPPOL Transport Infrastructure Agreements – TIA

PEPPOL eDelivery Network 

PEPPOL uses the eDelivery Network to connect different eProcurement systems by establishing a set of common business processes and technical standards. This provides an interoperable and secure network connecting all Access Points using the same electronic messaging protocol and formats and applying digital signature technologies to secure message content.

Service Metadata Locator 

In order to deliver electronic documents from a sender to the correct recipient, all PEPPOL Access Points need to know about each other and the participants they support.

To do this PEPPOL maintains one centralized service, called the Service Metadata Locator (SML). The PEPPOL SML defines which Service Metadata Publisher (SMP) to use for finding out the delivery details of any PEPPOL participant. This is a similar approach to how the World Wide Web is able to find websites based on their domain names.  The PEPPOL SML is a core service that identifies all PEPPOL trusted Access Points and SMPs.

Service  Metadata Publisher

All PEPPOL participating organizations (such as contracting authorities or suppliers) publish their receiving capabilities (delivery addresses, business processes and document types supported, etc.) using a separate service called a Service Metadata Publisher (SMP).

The purpose of the SMP is similar to an address book or business registry containing details of participants within a specific eProcurement community.

Difi (Norway Digitalisation Agency) Service Metadata Publisher in Norway

Difi has signed an Authority Agreement with OpenPEPPOL to manage processes in the region of Norway. Difi takes care of the licensing process for Access Point Service providers in the region and manages the details of participating organisations in their SMP.

PEPPOL Business Interoperability Specification

PEPPOL has developed the Business Interoperability Specifications (BIS) for common eProcurement processes to standardise electronic documents exchanged and validated through an open and secure network, between sending and receiving Access Points for public sector buyers and their suppliers across Europe and beyond.

PEPPOL BIS Billing 3.0 – Europe 

The Peppol BIS Billing 3.0 is a compliant (CIUS) implementation of the European eInvoicing standard, EN 16931. Consequently, those who receive invoices that comply to this BIS are also compliant to the EU Directive 2014/55 on electronic invoices.

PEPPOL BIS Billing 3.0 – non-Europe 

When the Peppol network is used for receiving invoices by members in non-European countries where European Directives are not part of the national legislation and there is a Peppol Authority, then those members are mandated to be able to receive invoices based on the relevant country specific BIS Billing 3.0 specification instead of the Peppol BIS Billing 3.0.

Singapore – SG PEPPOL BIS Billing 3.0 (https://github.com/SG-PEPPOL/SG-PEPPOL-Specifications/tree/master/SG%20PEPPOL%20BIS%20Billing%203/Specification)

Australia and New Zealand – A-NZ PEPPOL BIS Billing 3.0 

(https://github.com/A-NZ-PEPPOL/A-NZ-PEPPOL-BIS-3.0/tree/master/Specifications )

VEFA Validator 

VEFA Validator is a tool provided by the Difi (Norway Digitalisation Agency) for the purpose of validating the electronic business documents against various PEPPOL BIS specifications. 

To transmit a document in eDelivery Network , according to the transport agreement  , the document should be compliant with one of the specified PEPPOL BIS specifications. This tool can be used to check the validity of the documents before the transmission. 

Difi has also hosted the Validator @ https://vefa.difi.no/validator/

For regular use, Difi recommends to host your own instance which could be built from the source at https://github.com/anskaffelser/vefa-validator