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Accessing the European Standard on eInvoicing
Thomas FILLIS posted on Jan 31, 2019

Accessing the European Standard on eInvoicing


Public administrations and businesses have now access to the semantic data model and the two mandatory syntaxes of the European standard on eInvoicing via their own National Standardisation Bodies. This was achieved via a sponsored access agreement between the European Commission and the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) signed in December. The agreement ensures access to users and includes derivative use, and is valid for the duration of the current version of the semantic data model and compliant syntaxes. Read more details about the agreement here.

How to access

If you are a private operator that wishes to do business with a contracting authority in Europe, you will stand to benefit from using the European Standard when sending eInvoices, as contracting authorities will need to be able to receive eInvoices that use the standard and these will be processed and paid more swiftly. For these purposes, National Standardisation Bodies members of CEN, are granting direct access to the standards on their websites, together with its semantic data model and the two mandatory syntaxes. Public authorities, private operators and European institutions, bodies and agencies can now contact their national standardisation body directly to access the printed or the downloadable PDF version of the aforementioned documents.

The agreement includes 31 national standardisation bodies, those of the 28 EU Member States and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Serbia and Turkey.


Eneco, the Dutch energy provider
Sophia Bunemann posted on Jan 29, 2019

A Connecting Europe Success Story

Eneco on e-Invoicing: “Less manual work, fewer errors, faster payments”



Electronic invoicing is gaining popularity in the Netherlands, partially due to statutory obligations but also because of its incredible efficiency. “It’s going to spread like an oil spill.”  


“The market demands it,” Ilse Bouwman, Customer Service Manager for Corporate Accounts at Eneco, a large Dutch energy producer and supplier, has noticed the growing interest in eInvoicing.

This is due to national and European legislation stipulating that public sector parties or organisations that work for the government must receive and process electronic invoices in UBL format as per April 2019. Because this regards a significant number of Eneco’s corporate accounts, it also affects the energy company itself. That is why Eneco has started a trajectory for implementing eInvoicing in 2018. Bouwman also notices an increased interest due to other reasons: “Customers ask questions about the potential advantages of electronic invoicing”, she says. 

The move to eInvoicing does in fact offer all kinds of benefits, says Sonja Thissen, Business Technology Consultant at Eneco. But first, she would like to clear up a common misconception. eInvoicing is somewhat different to sending an invoice digitally, she says: “A digital invoice is sent by e-mail in a PDF, CSV or other format, for instance, and is processed manually in the bookkeeping. With eInvoicing, there is a network connecting the sender and receiver, and invoices are processed automatically in the recipient’s bookkeeping.” This results in: “Less manual work, faster payments and fewer errors due to automatic processing. Furthermore, it reduces quibbles about the accuracy of invoices because you both have the same facts. The chance of an invoice getting lost also reduces. It is a genuine improvement in efficiency for both us and the customer”, says Bouwman.

e-Invoicing removes complexity 

Some of Eneco’s customers work at hundreds of locations. In the paper world these were all on one invoice at the request of the client, states Thissen. “If there was a problem with one location’s details, the entire payment stalled. With e-Invoicing, the invoices are sent per location, which eradicates this problem.” 

Indirectly, it also has a significant effect on the financial side, says Bouwman. “We reduce our internal costs. Furthermore, we get paid quicker and payments are more reliable. We have greater security that invoices will be paid on time. That is beneficial to our working capital.” Furthermore, the project is in line with Eneco’s sustainability goals to reduce the use of paper and CO2 emissions. Plus: many parties have not yet started with eInvoicing, says Bouwman: “We identified this trend and picked up early on.”

How did Eneco tackle the challenge?

Eneco started the project on a small scale with a large Dutch municipality and one retail company.  Although it might seem small scale, Bouwman emphasises:  “You’re still talking about hundreds of invoices being sent per month.” This allowed the energy company to get some experience under its belt.

The implementation of the system was smooth, in cooperation with the Dutch eInvoicing service provider Storecove. Eneco was connected to the PEPPOL network within a few days. PEPPOL enables businesses across Europe to communicate electronically with public buyers in various stages of the procurement process. The energy company delivered test invoices to kick off the test process in collaboration with Storecove. “It’s important that customers understand that they will have to dedicate time to this phase, says Thissen. “It requires good coordination between Eneco, the customer and Storecove.” Furthermore, the service provider guided Eneco through the necessary steps: “They kept us continually updated with each step, so we could follow it and learn from the process.”

What will the future bring?

Now that the energy company can see that eInvoicing is running smoothly, Eneco soon wants to offer more customers the possibility to receive and send invoices through the network. Thissen: “Now we see it is successful, we can point out the advantages of eInvoicing to more parties. We can show them how we do it and that it works.”

Bouwman thinks that it is only a matter of time before eInvoicing gets even bigger. “This will become the standard in the energy market, partially due to the new legislation, but I also strongly believe that more customers will start seeing the benefits that we experience.” She foresees increased interest and expects that other sectors will pick up on it. “I believe that it will spread like an oil spill. Customers from retail, for instance, are already asking about it specifically because it can help them increase internal efficiency. That’s the best thing; that companies are not prompted by legislation, but that they themselves can see the advantages.”


CEF eInvoicing

Learn how you can digitalise your services with Connecting Europe Facility (CEF). The CEF programme offers eight building blocks, including eInvoicing, that can help anyone build European digital services. CEF eInvoicing helps businesses and public administrations to comply with the European standard for sending, receiving and processing electronic invoices. CEF supported PEPPOL in upgrading their message exchange protocol within the PEPPOL network. PEPPOL is a non-profit association of both public sector and private members. It enables European businesses to easily communicate electronically with any European public sector buyers in their procurement process, read the full story here. 

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German Authorities Handover German eID Authorisation Certificate to the Commission
Thomas FILLIS posted on Jan 29, 2019

German Authorities Handover German eID Authorisation Certificate to the Commission

Symbolic handover between representatives of the Commission and Federal Office for Administration

On 24 January 2019, Gertrud Ingestad, Director General at the European Commission's Directorate General for Informatics (DIGIT) and members of the DIGIT Senior Management Team and Directorate D (Digital Services) met with a delegation from the German Federal Office for Administration (Bundesverwaltungsamt), led by BVA Vice-President Ms Silvia Bechtold, in Brussels, Belgium.

The BVA delegation came to mark symbolically the handover of the German eID authorisation certificate to DIGIT, during the summer of 2018.

The eIDAS Regulation (on electronic identification and trust services in the internal market) mandates for the mutual recognition of notified national identification schemes (eID)  allowing citizens of one European country to use their national eIDs to securely access online/digital government services provided in other European countries.

Since 29 September 2018, all online services requiring electronic identification to login must accept the notified eID schemes of the other EU countries. In 2018, Germany was the first Member State to notify their national eID. Thanks to the eIDAS interoperability framework and the handover of the authorisation certificate, EU Login, the Commission’s authentication solution, is able to accept German eIDs as a means to connect to EU applications and websites.

The interconnection of eIDs between EU Member States has the power to advance the ability of citizens, professionals and administrators fundamentally in both providing and accessing services throughout Europe. Both the BVA and DIGIT share the mission of ensuring efficient and secure digital transformation of wider administrations.

Gertrud Ingestad and Silvia Bechtold

Via the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) eID Building Block, the European Commission supports the Member States in the roll-out of the eIDAS Network (the technical infrastructure which connects national eID schemes). Service Providers (public administrations and private sector organisations) may then connect their services to this network, making these services accessible across borders and allowing them to enjoy the legal recognition brought by eIDAS.

During the meeting, Gertrud Ingestad, with the relevant colleagues from DIGIT and BVA delegation, discussed the common challenges of leading the digitalisation of public administration. During the discussion, the participants noted that digitalisation is at its most efficient when undertaken by organisations working together, across borders.

Gertrud noted that the Commission very much appreciates the desire of the German administration to use digital means to support better governance at the local, regional, national and European level. Ms Silvia Bechtold thanked DIGIT and the Commission at large for its drive in ever more efficient public administration.

Klaus Wolter (Head of Unit authorisation certificates, global lockdown service, BVA), Emanuele Baldacci (Director Directorate Digital Services, DIGIT), Philipp Marks (Head of the Digital Transformation Unit, BVA), Gertrud Ingestad (Director General, DIGIT), Silvia Bechtold (Vice-President, BVA), Mario Campolargo (Deputy Director General, DIGIT), Birgit Frieler-Woll (Head of International Affairs Unit, BVA), Jeroen Rathe (Head of Sector Digital Identity and Signatures Services, DIGIT);




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eSignature hosted a webinar for Trusted List Scheme Operators
Sophia Bunemann posted on Jan 28, 2019

eSignature hosted a webinar for Trusted List Scheme Operators


On Tuesday 22nd January, the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) eSignature team hosted a webinar to update Trusted List Scheme Operators (TLSOs) on recent eSignature solutions updates.Each Member State has at least one TLSO, who is responsible for updating and ensuring the quality of the respective Member States' trusted list. These webinars intend to connect with the community and provide information about the upcoming technical updates mostly focusing on the TL-Manager tool. 

The trusted list contains information on the trusted service providers, these are service providers issuing eSignature certificates enabling private and public users to sign documents electronically. This conforms with the eIDAS regulation and defined standards. You can find back the trusted providers on the CEF Trusted List browser. 

Number of qualified trusted service providers in Europe 

Uptake - view eSignature - eSignature Conformance Testing

Source:CEF-Uptake view eSignature https://ec.europa.eu/digital-building-blocks/sites/display/DIGITAL/Uptake+-+view+eSignature#

During this webinar, TLSOs were encouraged to continue to follow best practices and had the opportunity to leverage on the experience of the community. The upcoming launch of a new eSignature validation test cases (esig-validation-tests), to be released in Spring 2019, was also shared. 

The CEF eSignature team was delighted to introduce the release of TL-Manager version 5.5, of which most functionalities were then directly shown during a demo. The most notable new features include: 

      • Dynamic filter of trusted service providers and services in the trusted list
      • Merge of multiple drafts, enabling TLSO to merge separate preparatory works before publication
      • Additional checks on trusted lists, detecting transition errors from versions to versions (i.e. trusted list Sn to trusted list Sn+1)
      • Availability of an offline trusted list signing tool 

Every webinar provides the opportunity to engage with the Member States TLSOs directly, and for them to provide input and feedback for the technical development of the Building Block. 



CEF eInvoicing Publishes Updated Country Factsheets
Thomas FILLIS posted on Jan 25, 2019

CEF eInvoicing Publishes Updated Country Factsheets

©Pixabay

The European Commission has published updated CEF eInvoicing country factsheets. The factsheets have been prepared and updated in close cooperation with the Member State experts in the European Multi-Stakeholder Forum on eInvoicing (EMSFEI). With only a few months left to the deadline for the implementation of the eInvoicing Directive, these factsheets provide a snapshot over the state-of-play of the transposition of Directive 2014/55/EU in individual countries, as well as an overview of the progress to date that has been collectively achieved in Europe with regards to implementation of eInvoicing.

Source: CEF eInvoicing in each Member State

Every European country has a unique approach to dealing with eInvoicing. Each country factsheet therefore provides a useful and regularly updated guide to Member States’ policy frameworks, eInvoicing platforms (if existing) and approach for receiving and processing eInvoices.

The updated country factsheets also highlight the great efforts made by central, regional and local authorities in transposing Directive 2014/55/EU into national law. This year's factsheets are particularly relevant as they highlight which Member States are on course or have already implemented the Directive before its deadline on 18 April 2019.

The 2019 edition also includes new features that further explain the nature of different countries' respective eInvoicing implementation, highlighting the status of the following implementation features:

  1. Status of the transposition of Directive 2014/55/EU;
  2. Use of the extra year for compliance of non-central entities;
  3. Use of CIUS and/or Extensions.

The Directive also called for the creation of a European standard on eInvoicing to aid the implementation process. The standard has been published and made available to national Standardisation Bodies, making it possible for sellers to send invoices to many customers by using a single eInvoicing format and thus not have to adjust their sending and/or receiving to connect with individual trading parties.

The CEF eInvoicing building block serves to support public administrations in complying with the aforementioned eInvoicing Directive, and helps solution providers adapt their services accordingly. To do so, CEF eInvoicing makes the following services available:


Three new eID schemes pre-notified for 2019
Thomas FILLIS posted on Jan 25, 2019

Three new eID schemes pre-notified for 2019

©Pixabay

European cooperation to enable the mutual recognition of eID schemes is moving full stream at this beginning of 2019. EU Member States are launching the peer review of three additional electronic identification (eID) schemes that had been pre-notified at the end of last year.

Between November and December 2018, Czech Republic, the Netherlands and Italy (which has already pre-notified and notified its “SPID” scheme) completed the first step in the process of achieving mutual trust, security and interoperability between the Member States’ infrastructures. This enables citizens and businesses to prove their identity in online interactions with private and public service providers.

Such goals come with the eIDAS regulation (EU) 910/2014 on electronic identification and trust services for electronic transactions in the internal market. The Regulation mandates for a mutual recognition of eID schemes across the EU, meaning that all public services requiring substantial or high level of assurance must provide access to electronic identities notified by other Member States.

The Regulation identifies three steps:

  • Pre-notification, no less than six months before the planned notification date. During this phase, each Member State provides information to other Member States about its national eID scheme. This includes describing the technical solution adopted, sharing information about the identity provider and the estimated level of assurance (low, substantial, or high), explaining the liability regime and the responsibilities of the authorities involved, and describing the procedure to obtain, use and revoke an eID;
  • A peer review phase, during which each eID scheme undergoes a quality and security check based on the requirements set out by the eIDAS Regulation;
  • The formal notification of the eID scheme and publication in the official journal of the European Union.This month, the Czech, Dutch and Italian schemes are entering the phase of peer review.


Figure 1: (Pre)-Notification & Peer Review Process

Italy’s Electronic Identity Card

On 26 November 2018, Italy pre-notified its second eID scheme, the Italian Electronic Identity Card (Carta d'Identità Elettronica), after launching in November 2017 the first EU eID scheme managed by the private sector (the Public Digital Identity Scheme – SPID). The Italian eID card is available for both Italian citizens and official residents of all ages. 

The Italian Ministry of Interior is the identity provider and empowers local municipalities to process individual applications and grant eID cards. The eID is made of a plastic card equipped with a contactless chip. Holders are able to have access to public services. A mobile app called IDEA enables users to check the authenticity of the ID document and verify that the data stored in the chip corresponds to what is printed in the visible area.

Figure 2: Italian Electronic Identity Card (Carta d'Identità Elettronica)

Dutch Trust Framework for Electronic Identification

On 11 December 2018 the Dutch Government pre-notified their Trust Framework for Electronic Identification, more commonly known under the brands of eErkenning (for business) and Idensys (for citizens). As part of this pre-notification, only the business domain (eErkenning) will be considered. The peculiarity of this eID is that it is the first pre-notified scheme for legal persons under eIDAS. Thanks to this solution, representatives of business or public services that have received a specific authorisation can access online services on behalf of their organisation and manage their transactions with the government in a totally secure manner. They can use a login token, previously acquired from a number of accredited service providers. Tokens can take the form of a name/password, texting, phone, one time password (OTP), or public key certificate. 

The scheme is managed as a public-private partnership between the Ministry of the Interior and a series of accredited suppliers in charge of mean issuance, authentication provision, authorisation registration and eRecognition brokering. Means publishers are in charge of verifying the identity of the organisation's employee and issuing log-in resources. Authentication providers are in charge of authenticating the persons that want to log-in to a service using eHerkenning. Authorisation registers are in charge of recording and maintaining the list of authorisations and privileges of each users, following the instruction of a legal representative of the organisation. Finally, the eRecognition brokers are in charge of the interface between the eHerkenning network and the service providers.

Figure 3: eHerkenning

Czech's Electronic Identity Card

On 13 December 2018, Czechia pre-notified of its national eID scheme (Czech eID card), issued to Czech citizens only. The main aim of the document is to provide a proof of identity and citizenship as well as travel document in all EU countries for holders. There is no minimum age limit for applicants, but Czech citizens are under a legal obligation to apply for a personal eID card as from the age of 15 if they reside within the country. 

The cards equipped with a chip can be used as a digital identity following an opt-in of the holder, enabling him/her to authenticate online and access online services such as the Tax Portal and other eGovernment services.

Figure 4: Czech Electronic Identity Card

The Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) eID Building Block primarily supports the Member States in the roll-out of the eIDAS Network (the technical infrastructure which connects national eID schemes). CEF eID is a set of services (including software, documentation, training and support) provided by the European Commission and endorsed by the Member States, which helps public administrations and private Service Providers to extend the use of their online services to citizens from other European countries.

To see the full overview of pre-notified and notified eID schemes under eIDAS, 


CEF Context Broker - Increase in adoption
Thomas FILLIS posted on Jan 24, 2019

CEF Context Broker - Increase in adoption

©Pixabay

The Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) Context Broker Building Block closed 2018 with a steady increase in the download of the Context Broker software. Compared to August, figures highlight a steady monthly increase throughout Q3 and Q4 in 2018. The download of Context Broker documentation increased by 27.6% from August to September,  49.5%  from September 2018 to October 2018 and 31.7% from October to November. The Context Broker software saw an increase of 652% downloads from October to November. 

©FIWARE foundation

The CEF Context Broker enables organisations (including but not limited to public administrations) to manage and share data in real-time describing “what is currently happening” either within their organisations, in the real world they manage or where they run their daily business processes. Thus, for example, Smart Cities can share information about what is happening in streets (e.g., traffic status, quality of air data, available parking slots or location).

The Context Broker has enabled transformative European-level projects helping to solve issues such as air pollution in European cities.

Technically, the CEF Context Broker is composed by two major software components: the Orion Context Broker component, which implements the core Context Broker functionality itself, and the Cygnus component, which complements Orion. Cygnus captures updates on context information managed by the Orion Context Broker and produces a stream of context data history that can then be stored into a specific persistent data sink storage, such as MySQL, MongoDB, Flink or HDFS for further processing or CKAN for Open Data publication.

The FIWARE Community has also developed several components enabling the publication of real-time/API data resources (NGSI datasets) in data publication portals like CKAN. It also has developed components enabling the monetisation of datasets, including real-time/API datasets.




Webinar: eArchiving specifications in focus, 22 January 2019
Thomas FILLIS posted on Jan 18, 2019

Webinar: eArchiving specifications in focus, 22 January 2019

©Pixabay


View the recording: eArchiving specifications in focus


The E-ARK project produced open specifications to be used with the E-ARK tools and services. As part of the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) eArchiving Building Block, the E-ARK4ALL consortium has enhanced and stabilised the specifications which were released for review by the community in December 2018.

This webinar will provide a brief introduction to the specifications, explain how they are managed and developed and how the community can use and contribute to them.

For more information about the specifications visit: http://e-ark4all.eu/2018/11/29/earchiving-specifications-review-we-need-your-help/

Speakers

Karin Bredenberg, National Archives of Sweden
Carl Wilson, Open Preservation Foundation

Date and time

Tuesday 22 January at 13:00 GMT / 14:00 CET. The webinar will last approximately 45 minutes.

Registration

There are 50 places available on a first come, first served basis. OPF members have priority registration.

The recording and slides will be accessible to OPF members after the event.

CEF eArchiving provides the core specifications, software, training and knowledge to tackle the challenge of short, medium and long-term data management and reuse in a sustainable, authentic, cost-efficient, manageable and interoperable way.

eIDAS Interactive Tool: Test eID and Trust Services in a Simulated Environment
Thomas FILLIS posted on Jan 18, 2019

eIDAS Interactive Tool: Test eID and Trust Services in a Simulated Environment

Does your organisation want to test eID and trust service solutions before making an investment? Would you like to fully understand the business benefits for your organisation?

The eIDAS Interactive Tool allows businesses to test eID and trust services solutions in a simulated environment, providing information on the benefits of using such solutions through real life business applications in the financial services, online retail, transport and professional services sectors. The tool shows SMEs how eID and trust services can be incorporated into day to day operations to increase the efficiency and security of your business and to improve user experience.

The interactive tool is designed in such a way that the user can enter either via sector or by choosing the eID or trust service that they would like to test out. The user is then shown the different applications for the eID and trust services through example scenarios for different industries. The interactive tool also provides information on where the user can go to receive further information on how to implement these solutions, along with links to other useful resources from the eIDAS Toolkit for SMEs. These resources have been designed to help businesses in Europe understand the benefits of eID and trust services and include a quickstart guidebook, an eIDAS checklist , a video explaining eIDAS in under 3 minutes , eIDAS sector-specific information including infographics and a cutting-edge webinar programme.


The Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) eID Building Block supports the Member States in the roll-out of the eIDAS Network (the technical infrastructure which connects national eID schemes). Service Providers (public administrations and private sector organisations) may then connect their services to this network, making these services accessible across borders and allowing them to enjoy the legal recognition brought by eIDAS.

The CEF eSignature Building Block supports the use of cross-border interoperable electronic signatures in Europe. This means, for example, that a Greek entrepreneur can sign a permit application in Helsinki and expect it to be recognized by public authorities in Dublin.

The CEF Building Blocks (CEF eArchiving, Context Broker, Big Data Test Infrastructure, eDelivery, eID, eInvoicing, eSignature and eTranslation) help teams across Europe deliver digital public services faster, comply with regulation and make the digital single market a reality. To see how, read the latest Success Stories.


eIDAS Made Easy: The Quickstart Guide and Checklist for Your Business
Thomas FILLIS posted on Jan 08, 2019

eIDAS Made Easy: The Quickstart Guide and Checklist for Your Business


What is the eIDAS Regulation? Which eID and trust service is right for your organisation? How can they be used to benefit your SME or startup?

 As part of the eIDAS Toolkit for SMEs, the eIDAS Made Easy Guidebook and eIDAS Checklist have recently been launched to help businesses to understand the benefits of electronic identification (eID) and trust services and guide them towards implementation, according to individual business needs.

 The eIDAS Made Easy Quickstart Guide

This downloadable guidebook is designed as a quick-reference guide on key information on the eIDAS Regulation and eID and trust service solutions. It provides a set of easy to understand concepts and practical examples, helping businesses to:

  • Understand the main features of the eIDAS Regulation.
  • Discover the business benefits of eID and trust services.
  • Identify the step towards implementing eID and trust service solutions.

The guidebook also provides sector specific examples for the application of eID and trust services in the financial services, online retail, transport and professional services sectors.

The eIDAS Checklist

A downloadable checklist  is available to help businesses to choose the appropriate eID and trust service solutions to meet the needs of their business.

This checklist is aimed at those businesses that are looking to incorporate eID and trust services into their daily activities. It builds on the information provided in the guidebook and helps businesses to select the most appropriate solutions according to their specific business needs. 

The eIDAS Toolkit for SMEs

The guidebook and checklist form part of the eIDAS Toolkit for SMEs, a set of online resources designed to help businesses in Europe understand the benefits of eID and trust services and to assist them in the implementation of these solutions into their daily operations. Please visit the eIDAS for SMEs web page for additional information and resources such as:

-       A video explaining eIDAS in under 3 minutes 

-       eIDAS sector-specific information including infographics

-       A webinar programme

-       The eIDAS interactive tool

The materials are available in four different languages (EN, ES, DE, FR).

The Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) eID Building Block supports the Member States in the roll-out of the eIDAS Network (the technical infrastructure which connects national eID schemes). Service Providers (public administrations and private sector organisations) may then connect their services to this network, making these services accessible across borders and allowing them to enjoy the legal recognition brought by eIDAS.