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. With the proposals considered robust and ready for the next stage, the eDelivery team is now confident in moving forward with the revised specifications.
The next crucial step are the Interoperability Events planned for 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. Participating vendors 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
The Commission's conformance testing service, pivotal for validating eDelivery solutions, is also undergoing enhancements. The migration from the Minder platform to the ITB platform in 2023 ensured continued testing with the same set of tests. However, the platform now supports testing for optional profile enhancements like the Pull Feature, Dynamic Sender, and Dynamic Receiver, with a launch scheduled for July 2024.
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.
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 solutions offered by vendors adhere to the established eDelivery specifications.
Enhancements are underway to incorporate testing for optional profile features like Pull, Dynamic Sender, and Dynamic Receiver. These functionalities will be testable by July 2024. Additionally, a second set of tests to strengthen common profile testing is planned for later in the year.
A key focus of the service enhancements is the implementation of support for previously missing profile enhancements. These enhancements, including the Pull Feature, Dynamic Sender, and Dynamic Receiver functionalities, will be incorporated into the testing service by July 2024. Additionally, a planned expansion of tests for the core eDelivery AS4 profile is expected later this year or early next year. These service improvements aim to provide vendors with a more comprehensive and robust testing environment, independent of the new eDelivery 2.0 specifications.
The eDelivery conformance testing service plays a vital role in ensuring that solutions align with the specifications. Recent updates to this service include the addition of tests for optional profile enhancements such as Pull Feature, Dynamic Sender, and Dynamic Receiver. These enhancements will be available for testing from July 2024.
Further, strengthened tests for the Common Profile are planned for release by the end of the year. These updates will not only expand the scope of testing but also enhance the robustness of the conformance assessment, providing a higher degree of confidence in the compliance of eDelivery solutions.
The eDelivery team is committed to fostering transparency and collaboration with solution providers. They actively seek feedback and encourage vendors to engage in the ongoing development and refinement of the eDelivery specifications. By working together, stakeholders can ensure the successful implementation of eDelivery 2.0 and drive the continued evolution of secure and reliable digital communication across the European Union.
eDelivery digital ecosystems
eDelivery monitoring
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.