Progress on eDelivery 2.0 specifications and beyond
The European Commission's eDelivery Building Block, a cornerstone for secure digital data exchange across the EU, continues to evolve. Significant strides have been made in developing the next generation of eDelivery specifications, collectively known as eDelivery 2.0. This article delves into the current status of these specifications and enhancements to the conformance testing service.
Road to 2.0 profile adoption
Following the public consultation in 2023, the eDelivery team made substantial revisions to the initial 2.0 draft specifications based on feedback and internal analysis. This collaborative process led to refinements in the draft specifications for the eDelivery AS4 2.0 and eDelivery SMP 2.0 profiles. This included incorporating advancements in cryptography to leverage the best available security measures. To refine the security aspects, the team has also incorporated input from a cryptography expert.
Notably, the feedback and analysis also necessitated adjustments to the BDXL and ebCore Party Id profiles to ensure complete consistency across the entire eDelivery framework. As a result, we have published the second drafts of all four eDelivery profiles: AS4, SMP, BDXL and ebCore Party Id. The revised draft profiles were presented during the February meeting of the Interoperability Forum, a group dedicated to vendors who build eDelivery-compliant products.
The 2024 draft specifications were released for public consultation (8 March - 8 April 2024), which yielded few comments. The eDelivery team interprets this minimal feedback as a general endorsement of the proposed changes. As announced during the April meeting of the Interoperability Forum, the team is now confident in moving forward with the revised 2.0 specifications.
The next crucial step are the Interoperability Events (11 & 25 June 2024). These remote sessions will bring together solution providers with their proof-of-concept implementations based on the latest draft specifications, including key cryptography changes. Participants will have the opportunity to test their implementations against each other and thus validating interoperability between different solutions built on the new eDelivery AS4 specifications. The eDelivery team, responsible for Domibus, a sample AS4 product, will also participate.
Assuming a successful Interoperability Event with no unforeseen roadblocks, formal publication of the new specifications is expected in the second half of 2024. While some early adopters might be ready by 2025, a more realistic timeframe for widespread product support for the new specifications is likely to be 2026 onwards. The European Commission's Domibus is tentatively slated for an update by the end of 2025, but this timeline remains fluid.
Market of conformant solutions
In parallel with the eDelivery 2.0 specification development, the eDelivery team has been diligently working on improvements to the conformance testing service. This service plays a vital role in ensuring that eDelivery-conformant solutions offered by vendors adhere to the eDelivery specifications.
The migration from the Minder platform to the ITB platform for AS4 conformance testing in 2023 ensured continued testing with the same set of tests. With a launch scheduled for July 2024, the new platform will be ready to support testing for optional profile enhancements like the Pull Feature, Dynamic Sender and Dynamic Receiver, which was not available until now through neither old nor new conformance testing service.
Further improvements to strengthen Common Profile testing are planned for later this year. These upgrades aim to ensure robust, standardised testing for all eDelivery solutions.
To improve user experience and transparency, the eDelivery team has also redesigned the listing of eDelivery-conformant solutions. The new presentation features a new design that simplifies information access and highlights the level of confidence users can have in the conformance of specific products. For more information on what the new view brings to both software vendors and users, see New listing of eDelivery AS4 conformant solutions.
Furthermore, we have started sharing AS4 user needs with the community of conformant solutions vendors. We hope this is yet another step forward in our quest for transparency.
eDelivery digital ecosystems
eDelivery is experiencing increasing adoption across various EU digital ecosystems. Three ecosystems previously under preparation have transitioned to production:
- The Central European System of Payment Information (CESOP), a DG TAXUD-led initiative aimed at combating VAT fraud. CSOP uses eDelivery for the secure transfer of large datasets between Member State tax authorities and DG TAXUD. The first successful transfer, involving gigabytes of data, took place in April 2024.
- Union Database of Biofuels (UDP) was introduced in November 2023.
- Transparency Register is an inter-institutional communication channel between the European Commission and the European Parliament.
As for planned production implementations, the Health Emergency Response Agency (HERA) is in the early stages of planning ATHINA, a system for collecting and analysing health threat data. While eDelivery is under consideration, a final decision on its inclusion has not yet been made. The Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) system, also led by DG TAXUD, is assessing the use of eDelivery's TAPAS implementation for secure communication with the CBAM central platform. The system aims to address carbon emissions transparency for goods imported into the EU.
The Commission will continue to monitor and report on the adoption of eDelivery across EU ecosystems. Further updates on the CBAM system and other potential implementations are expected as more information becomes available.
eDelivery monitoring
The European Commission monitors eDelivery adoption through internal and public dashboards. There is no formal qualification process for inclusion; projects are added as they are discovered or reported.
eDelivery in data spaces
eDelivery Building Block
eDelivery is a Building Block that provides technical specifications and standards, installable software and ancillary services to allow projects to create a network of nodes for secure digital data exchange.
The eDelivery specifications include the eDelivery AS4 profile, an open technical specification ensuring secure, payload-agnostic and reliable data exchange; the eDelivery SMP profile, designed for publishing service metadata within a 4-corner network; the eDelivery BDXL profile, which enables locating Access Points within the network; and the eDelivery ebCore Party ID profile, a technical specification for the recommended notation for party addressing.
Stay tuned for the latest updates on eDelivery services by checking the Building Block's X and web page. For more information, do not hesitate to register for personalised news or contact us via our portal or by email: EC-EDELIVERY-SUPPORT@ec.europa.eu.