Public authorities in the EU are now required
to support electronic invoicing (eInvoicing) for CE marking and other
compliance documents.
Under the new eInvoicing standard, EU authorities and
certification bodies must have the ability to receive and process electronic
invoices. This is designed to make the certification and public procurement
process quicker and more streamlined for all parties involved.
National public bodies in the EU were required
to comply with the eInvoicing requirements by April 18, 2019. Local and
regional bodies have until April 2020 to comply.
eInvoicing Reduces Costs and
Inefficiency
Before the introduction of Directive 2014/55/EU, many EU member states
were subject to varying regional, national, and global eInvoicing standards.
These standards had differing requirements, enforcement measures, and were not
compatible with each other.
As a result, each member state had to make its
own decisions and implement its own technical solution for eInvoicing.
Companies looking to sell products in multiple member states or invoice
multiple public bodies had to comply with different invoicing requirements.
This led to higher costs, longer turnaround times, and more confusion.
Under the new eInvoicing standard, sellers can
send the same type of invoice to authorities in different areas, cutting down
on costs and delays in the procurement process. EU businesses that used
eInvoicing between 2015 and 2017 saved an estimated €920 million. The new
standard is designed to bring these cost savings to more members of the EU
marketplace through EU-wide standardization.
eInvoices Based on Semantic Data
Model
The EU eInvoicing standard uses a semantic
data model based on two XML message standards. This dictates the type of
information every invoice must have and how it is mapped onto the message
standard, but does not define the syntax of the message itself.
The standard creates a common, interoperable
framework for machine-readable invoices. However, it is not designed to replace
or restrict existing standards, as long as they are compatible with new
eInvoice framework. This allows public bodies that already use eInvoicing to
continue doing so, as long as they meet the requirements of the new standard.
Contact G&M Compliance for
More Information About Exporting to the EU
For products that require the CE Mark, the new
eInvoicing standard should make it easier to communicate with multiple
certification bodies in different EU states.
G&M Compliance has established
relationships with regulatory agencies and certification bodies throughout the
EU. Our compliance experts can help you determine if your product needs the CE
Mark, find the best way to demonstrate compliance, and manage the end-to-end
certification process.
Contact G&M Compliance today to get a
quote or learn more about the requirements of the CE Mark.