Minutes of the 37th Belgian Peppol service providers plenary meeting
Date: September 30, 2025
Time: 13:30 – 15:00
Location: Teams Meeting
Chair: Serge Libert (BOSA)
Minutes Prepared By: Davut Yildirim
Agenda:
Clarification of admission rules
Approval of agenda and previous minutes
Closure of topics: Forum functioning model and Hermes usage
SMP Redirect API and governance
Network metadata quality
Multiple identifiers for same CBE
VAT number validation in schematrons
Other business: PKI migration, Peppol testbed update, Self-billing, General terms in invoices
Summary
The forum welcomed 45 newcomers, increasing participation significantly.
Two topics were proposed for closure: improvement of forum model and use of Hermes.
SMP redirect automation specification was discussed, with limited POC participation.
Network quality issues identified, focusing on metadata errors in SMP registration.
Multiple receivers under one enterprise number were discussed, with solutions proposed.
Proposal to add VAT number control in Schematron to ensure uniformity and correctness.
Self-billing support is growing, with 41% ready and 20% preparing for January 2026.
General terms and conditions in e-invoicing were raised as a topic for future discussion.
Next forum meeting scheduled for December 9, 2025,
Proposition was made that the next Service Provider Meeting be held in person during the first quarter of 2026.
1. Opening and Rules Clarification
The meeting began with confirmation that it was being recorded.
Serge clarified admission rules for the forum, emphasizing the need for in-person acceptance and discouraging representation via unconfirmed service addresses.
He reiterated the importance of Annex 3 agreements signed with Peppol authorities, requesting all service providers to share their existing signed annex for proper contact information. Serge stressed that the forum is driven by service providers, with BOSA acting as a facilitator, not as the main actor.
2. Approval of Agenda and Previous Minutes
The proposed agenda was reviewed and approved without objections. The minutes from the previous meeting were also approved, with no pending actions noted.
3. Closure of Two Topics
Improvement of Forum Operating Model: Serge summarized the evolution of the forum structure, introducing a topic-based approach with designated owners and optional focus groups. This model aims to distribute workload and ensure transparency. The topic was marked as completed and integrated into business-as-usual processes.
Use of Hermes: The decision to decommission Hermes by December 31, 2025, was confirmed, with read-only access until March 2026. Migration will follow the documented SML procedure. Questions were raised about Hermes users' visibility in the Peppol directory and migration steps, which were clarified during the discussion.
4. SMP Redirect – Report and Governance
Leentje De Brouwer presented the progress on API specifications for automated SMP redirects. While specifications were shared, participation in the proof of concept (POC) was low, likely due to workload. The group discussed whether to make API implementation mandatory in Belgium. Volunteers for the POC were sought, and governance considerations were outlined, including potential inclusion in the PSA.
5. Network Metadata Quality
Wouter Bollaert highlighted recurring errors in SMP registrations, such as missing or incorrectly formatted identifiers (CBE, VAT) and lack of receiving capabilities. Service providers were urged to review and correct their data voluntarily.
Future automated checks were suggested, and the importance of clean metadata for compliance and interoperability was stressed.
6. Multiple Identifiers for One CBE
Remko Weijers presented scenarios where multiple identifiers are needed, such as for school groups or organizations with decentralized accounting. The discussion covered technical implications for message responses (IRM, MLR, MLS) and the need for a focus group to explore solutions.
The group agreed to follow up offline.
7. VAT Number Validation in Schematrons
Paul Simons proposed adding validation rules for VAT numbers in schematrons to ensure consistent formatting and improve data quality.
The proposal aligns with practices in other countries and aims to support future e-reporting requirements.
Due to time constraints, this topic will be addressed in a dedicated focus group.
8. AOB (Any Other Business)/next meeting
Topics included PKI migration, Peppol testbed updates, self-billing readiness (41% ready, 20% by January 2026).
Handling general terms and conditions in invoices. Calls for feedback and potential working groups were announced.
The next plenary meeting is scheduled for December 9, 2025. An in-person meeting is proposed for Q1 2026 in Brussels. Participants were thanked for their contributions.
Actions
All forum members are invited to participate to the POC
BPA will reach out to Peppol Edge to propose participation to the POC
BPA and Nymus will progress with POC set up if/when it becomes possible to gather enough POC participants
Multiple Receivers under one enterprise number: Members are hereby invited to apply to a new Focus Group to progress on this topic by email to peppol@bosa.fgov.be .
Add Control On VAT Nr: Members are hereby invited to apply to a new Focus Group to progress on this topic by email to peppol@bosa.fgov.be.
Self-billing: members are invited to provide their input (observations, questions, issues identified) by email to peppol@bosa.fgov.be
Self-billing: members are invited to apply for a focus group on the topic by email to peppol@bosa.fgov.be
GT&Cs:: members are invited to provide their input (observations, questions, issues identified) by email to peppol@bosa.fgov.be
GT&Cs: members are invited to apply for a focus group on the topic by email to peppol@bosa.fgov.be
BPA to organize next Belgian Service Providers Forum plenary meeting
BPA to consider organizing in-person meeting in Q1 2026 and report progress on next plenary meeting