Norway (2017 eInvoicing Country Sheet)

Legislation

From 2011 onwards, all central authorities were required to receive invoices electronically. In 2012, it became mandatory for the suppliers of central government entities to invoice them electronically.

Additionally, the Reference directory for IT Standards in the public sector requires both central entities and suppliers to use the EHF format for national suppliers and the PEPPOL format for foreign suppliers. 

This is not mandatory for regional or local authorities. However , if regional or local authorities undertake eInvoicing, they have to do so by using specific formats (EHF and PEPPOL BIS).

eInvoicing platform and eInvoicing management solutions

In Norway, public entities use the PEPPOL network to receive eInvoices. Solution providers operating PEPPOL access points often provide eInvoicing solutions for creating, submitting, transmitting, receiving and processing eInvoices. Both economic operators and public entities rely on the service of these solutions providers. Additionally, Difi publishes a list of eInvoicing solution providers.

In the public sector, the main eInvoicing management solutions are Unit4 /Agresso, VISMA, Basware (Contempus) and SAP. There are more than 60 different EHF/PEPPOL BIS compliant solutions used in the private sector.

Approach for receiving and processing eInvoices

Economic operators can submit eInvoices either by using their own internal ERP or accounting systems or by using approved eInvoicing solution providers. The Norway eProcurement infrastructure is built around the PEPPOL standards and network, supplemented by specific national and EU-based systems.

OpenPEPPOL, the responsible authority for the PEPPOL infrastructure, operates the reception channel for eInvoices from economic operators. The Norwegian Government Agency for Financial Management (DFO) receives invoices on behalf of nearly 200 of the country's central government entities.

The Norwegian Agency for Public Management and e-Government (Difi), is the PEPPOL Authority in Norway. Difi authorises Norwegian-registered access points and operates the ELMA registry (more than 85.000 receivers by July 17)(PEPPOL Service Metadata Publisher) containing the identities and receiving capabilities of all Norwegian public entities and economic operators that communicate using the PEPPOL transport infrastructure.

Additional information

Difi operates a test access point and validation services for business messages compliant with EHF/PEPPOL BIS. In order to facilitate technology adoption, Difi offers the Oxalis open source sample implementations for PEPPOL Access Points, which are widely used by solution providers across Europe.[1]

The Ministry of Government Administration and Modernisation is in charge of implementing the directive in a national regulation as part of the public procurement regulations under the law on public procurement.

There is also a specific plan for the implementation of the upcoming European standard on eInvoicing as Difi will upgrade the current EHF Version to an European standard on eInvoicing enabled version, based on an upgraded PEPPOL BIS version (UBL syntax).

[1] More information on : https://github.com/difi/oxalis

VALIDATED BY THE EMSFEI MEMBER

Last updated:  Nov 29, 2017 17:33