Webinar Recap | 5 Takeaways for Navigating Europe’s E-Invoicing Requirements

PEPPOL is a global framework of standards, specifications, and a network that enables the secure, cross-border electronic exchange of business documents. As a secure network, PEPPOL connects many existing platforms, allowing companies to exchange documents with any other business or public entity registered on the network. This “connect once, reach all” model simplifies trade by ensuring that all parties use the same standardized rules and formats. To participate, companies connect through a certified PEPPOL Access Point, which acts as the gateway for sending and receiving documents. Originally launched to streamline procurement between European governments, PEPPOL has now grown into a global standard for e-document exchange.

E-invoicing simply means exchanging invoices in a structured, machine-readable format. PEPPOL is one of the most widely adopted models, especially in Europe, but it’s not the only one. Other models include centralized government portals (like Poland or Italy) and systems that add real-time reporting (e.g., France). Each country selects its own approach, and we explained the differences in the main article above.

Existing EDI networks and formats are not necessarily excluded, but mandates increasingly require invoices to conform to the EN 16931 European standard. This means EDI invoices may need to be mapped or transformed into an EN 16931–compliant format to be recognized as valid e-invoices. For example, Belgium allows continued use of EDI if invoices can be converted into EN 16931. The UK government has also noted this in its ongoing consultation, with a likely requirement that domestic and cross-border invoices adhere to interoperable, standardized formats.

Yes. Rossum is a certified PEPPOL access point, and our platform is built to handle a variety of e-invoicing models. Our core value is to manage this complexity for you by providing a single, unified solution that can work with different standards and local networks such as KSeF in Poland and PA in France, so you don’t need to manage multiple, disconnected systems.

While Rossum specializes in transactional documents like invoices, purchase orders, and packing lists, our platform is document-agnostic. Our AI is built to understand and process a wide variety of structured and unstructured documents across different industries and departments.

Currently, Rossum’s solution focuses on supporting Accounts Payable (AP) processes. And our core added value is in the end-to-end processing. Receiving the invoice is only the beginning; our platform then reads, validates, and processes e-invoices (alongside other invoice types).

Received e-invoices are stored unmodified. Rossum maintains integrity of the data at rest. The company is ISO 27001 and ISO 42001 compliant and passed SOC II type audit.

Rossum offers flexibility to match your workflow preferences. While you can create separate queues for different document types, the best practice is a unified queue, as senders often do not differentiate between formats. For formats that combine XML and a PDF, such as ZUGFeRD, we prioritize processing the data from the XML layer as it is the mandated requirement, while retaining the PDF for visual validation and audit purposes. For record-keeping, you can choose to store the original file, the extracted data, or a human-readable PDF that we generate from the XML.

Rossum’s solution is designed to handle this seamlessly. Our platform supports automated three-way matching against purchase orders and goods received, even at the line-item level. This eliminates the need for manual data entry and ensures that the invoice aligns with your internal procurement records.

Rossum pulls PO and goods received data from your ERP to perform automated matching and validation. Once the invoice is fully validated in Rossum, the data is then pushed back to your ERP for posting. This ensures that the single source of truth for all transactional data remains in your core system.

Rossum offers robust, pre-built integrations with major ERP systems, including SAP, Oracle, NetSuite, Coupa, and Workday. We also have a flexible API that allows for seamless, customized integrations with any other system (including Microsoft GP and Microsoft 365 BC).

As our expert Charles noted, most ERPs were not built for this new, fragmented environment. A common challenge is that ERPs often require costly, time-consuming updates and custom integrations for each new country’s unique regulations. This forces companies into a “local-to-local” approach that is neither scalable nor efficient. Rossum is designed to sit alongside your ERP, handling all the complexity of ingestion, validation, and transformation so your core systems remain streamlined and future-proof.

This is a core challenge that Rossum is built to solve. Instead of managing a patchwork of vendors and solutions for each country, Rossum provides a single, unified platform that can handle multiple formats and regulations from different jurisdictions. Our approach significantly reduces complexity, cost, and the burden of compliance as you expand into new territories or as the e-invoicing requirements spread.

This is a common issue. The best advice is to take control of your e-invoicing strategy and not wait for your ERP provider to release updates. By implementing a solution like Rossum, you can offload the compliance burden to a specialized platform that is designed to stay ahead of regulatory changes. This allows your team to prepare for the new mandates without being held back by your ERP’s timeline.

The e-invoicing requirements currently implemented cover domestic B2B transactions. The larger challenge arises when a company has to manage compliance for its different entities, all of which must adhere to their own country’s standards and rules. This is compounded by varying ERP systems and data formats, which is why a unified platform is critical. It provides a single point of entry and validation that can manage these diverse rules, ensuring your documents are compliant regardless of the countries involved.

Belgium: Mandatory B2B e-invoicing begins on January 1, 2026.

Germany: From January 1, 2025, all German companies must be able to receive structured e-invoices in the EN 16931 format. The obligation to issue e-invoices will phase in between 2027 and 2028, depending on company size and turnover.

France: The obligation to receive e-invoices is mandatory for all businesses from September 2026. Issuing e-invoices is phased by company size. Large and medium-sized companies will be required to issue e-invoices starting in September 2026.

UK: The UK government has not yet announced a mandatory e-invoicing start date. A public consultation has concluded, and an announcement is expected in the autumn of 2025.

Netherlands: Mandatory B2G (Business-to-Government) e-invoicing has been in place since 2017. While there is no official timeline for a B2B mandate, the country strongly encourages the use of PEPPOL for B2B transactions.

Read our recent article for a detailed breakdown of the upcoming deadlines.

No. The Belgian authorities have confirmed that the B2B e-invoicing mandate will start on January 1, 2026, without a formal grace period. While enforcement measures (e.g., penalties) may evolve in practice, companies should plan to be fully compliant by the start date.

Yes, the deadline for Latvia was recently pushed back to 2028. This is an example of how quickly mandates can change and why a flexible, agile solution is essential.