Peppol France PoC FAQ - updated 17 May

Owned by Didier Lombard, created
Last updated: May 18, 2023
4 min read

What is SMP?

Peppol is a set of artifacts and specifications enabling cross-border eProcurement among the various European countries. The aim of Peppol is to standardize the electronic communication between different entities such as suppliers, buyers, and governments. OpenPeppol is the organisation and Peppol is the Network.

SMP, standing for Service Metadata Publisher, is an important component within the Peppol network.

It's a server that hosts service metadata for a participant in the Peppol network. The SMP provides necessary details such as participant identifiers, document identifiers, process identifiers, and the endpoint address (URL) of the participant's Access Point (AP) where the documents should be sent. In other words, the SMP acts like a directory, assisting in the process of routing documents to the correct destination in the Peppol network. The sender can query the SMP to find out where to send a particular type of document for a specific recipient. This setup allows for the interoperability between different companies, systems, and countries that the Peppol network is designed to achieve.

What is SML?

SML in the context of the Peppol network stands for Service Metadata Locator. The SML is essentially a DNS (Domain Name System) service that plays a crucial role in the routing of documents within the Peppol network. It helps locate the correct Service Metadata Publisher (SMP) for a specific participant in the Peppol network.

Here's how it works:

  • When a sender wants to send a document to a receiver in the PEPPOL network, it first needs to find out where to send the document.

  • The sender knows the receiver's Peppol participant identifier, so it queries the SML using this identifier.

  • The SML responds with the address of the SMP that hosts the service metadata for the receiver.

  • The sender then queries the SMP to get the exact details about the receiver's endpoint (the Access Point where the document should be sent) and the types of documents and processes the receiver supports.

What is the purpose of the Peppol France Proof of Concept (PoC)?

Peppol France PoC aims to demonstrate the feasibility and benefits of implementing the Peppol framework within the French public procurement ecosystem. It tests the compatibility of the Peppol standards with the existing French e-procurement systems and evaluates potential improvements in efficiency, cost savings, and cross-border trade opportunities.

The initial scope for this Proof of Concept is to cover the relationships between French Tax Payers (C1 and C4) exchanging regulated flows where both the sender platform (C2) and the receiver platform (C3) are registered in Peppol and have become a PDP.

 As there is no available testing PPF Annuaire nor the PPF, the scope of the PoC will exclude the exchanges with these two systems of the French defined architecture, but will simulate the response of the PPF Annuaire.

Who is involved in the Peppol France PoC?

This is a joint OpenPeppol/EESPA Project with the involvement of the FNFE. Any SP/member of each of these organisations can join. The results of which will be shared with DGFIP/AIFE.

How do I participate in the Peppol France PoC?

Participating Service Providers are required to join OpenPeppol and apply for post award membership before they can join the France PoC. If the SP is not already a member, they may send an email to membership@peppol.eu indicating that they are joining for the France PoC exclusively in order to receive a reduced fee.

General membership information can be found here:

Join - OpenPeppol

Can the Peppol France PoC encounter challenges, and if so, how are they addressed?

Peppol France PoC may encounter challenges such as technical issues, compatibility problems, or stakeholder resistance. To address these challenges:

  • Maintain open communication with all stakeholders to identify and resolve issues promptly.

  • Engage experts and collaborate with project team to seek guidance on best practices and solutions.

  • Iterate and adapt the PoC implementation based on feedback and encountered challenges to ensure a successful outcome.

  • Provide training, resources, and support to stakeholders to facilitate their understanding and adoption of the Peppol framework.

What support is available for organizations during and after the Peppol France PoC?

  • There is a dedicated email address for the Project Team at; frpoc@peppol.eu  

  • When you receive your Test Certificate you will have also have received an invitation to join the slack workspace to facilitate communication between technical operators.  Please do use this for the more detailed technical questions.

What SML/SMP to use?

  • We use the standard Peppol infrastructure

  • For acceptance environment this is called the SMK

  • Participants are to be defined with the 0225 scheme id

  • There was an issue with this scheme id, but this has been solved

How do I know I’m talking to a PDP?

How then to differentiate PDP and ‘regular’ Peppol flows

  • We could have opted for a dedicated SML, but didn’t

  • We could have opted for a new domain (Poacc->CTC), but didn’t

  • However, the certificate linked to the access point is specific for the PDP exchanges

  • And for the PoC this is an answer to the requirements

Who manages the administration of SML/SMP entries?

The Peppol project team does this

  • For this a standard SMP server is used

  • This SMP server is linked to the standard Peppol SMK

What entries will be created by the Peppol team?

  • Receiving capabilities based on the Excel sheet provided by the participants

  • Also the endpoint URL needs to be provided (where the AS4 service is listening)

  • As well as the specific Peppol certificate

Can I use my standard Peppol test certificate in the PoC?

No, you can’t

  • For the PoC a specific certificate is being used

  • This certificate has specific characteristics (see handbook)

Where do I need to validate if a correct certificate is being used

  • When looking up a participant in the SMP

  • When receiving an AS4 request from a Peppol access point

What happens when a wrong certificate is being used/accepted

  • The network integrity is broken

Why do we use a SBDH in addition to UBL attached document?

The SBDH in many AS4/Peppol solutions is not exposed to the end user/consumer of the services

  • It is sometimes generated automatically

  • So we keep it for now to limit the impact

The UBL attached document allows for

  • Party definition and 4 endpoint identifiers

  • Transaction type

A parallel team is investigating support of native UBL/CII transport

  • So another reason not to touch the SBDH