EDI vs PEPPOL — the European standard for B2B and B2G invoices
In short: PEPPOL (Pan-European Public Procurement OnLine) is the standardized European network for exchanging B2B and B2G documents, with a focus on invoices (UBL 2.1 BIS Billing 3.0). It is mandatory for invoices to EU public institutions and works as a complement to traditional EDI for cross-border invoicing. EDIconnect is a certified PEPPOL Access Point.
Key capabilities
- Certified Access Point: EDIconnect is a PEPPOL AP, so you can send and receive documents directly, without extra intermediaries.
- UBL 2.1 BIS Billing 3.0: The standard European invoice format for B2B and B2G trade, adopted by public institutions across the EU.
- Complements traditional EDI: From the same ERP export you can send EDIFACT INVOIC (domestic retail), UBL via PEPPOL (EU B2G), and UBL for ANAF (domestic tax).
- PEPPOL directory: Every B2G/B2B partner on the PEPPOL network is searchable by company or VAT ID. Sending takes one click.
- Growing EU adoption: France (2026), Germany (2027), Belgium (2028) — PEPPOL is becoming mandatory in more EU countries every year.
- RO_CIUS compliance: PEPPOL templates adapted to Romania's fiscal specification (RO_CIUS), including sync with ANAF's e-invoicing platform.
PEPPOL, traditional EDI and ANAF e-invoicing: the ideal architecture
For a Romanian company that also exports into the EU, the right architecture is: traditional EDI (EDIFACT plus AS2) for domestic retail (Kaufland, Carrefour, Lidl and similar chains), PEPPOL for B2B/B2G invoices into the EU (France, Germany, the Nordics), and ANAF's e-invoicing platform (UBL 2.1 via API) for domestic tax reporting. All three run in parallel from a single EDI platform, driven by the same ERP export as the source of truth.
This way, one ERP integration covers every scenario — domestic retailer, EU customer, and the tax authority — with zero extra mapping work for your team.
Frequently asked questions
What is PEPPOL?
PEPPOL (Pan-European Public Procurement OnLine) is the standardized European network for exchanging electronic commercial documents between companies and public institutions. It uses UBL 2.1 (BIS Billing 3.0 for invoices) and a four-corner model: sender → sender's Access Point → recipient's Access Point → recipient.
What's the difference between PEPPOL and traditional EDI?
Traditional EDI (EDIFACT/X12 over AS2) is bilateral: each pair of partners configures its own certificates and mapping. PEPPOL is multi-partner: a single connection to an Access Point gives you access to the entire PEPPOL network. UBL 2.1 is semantically richer than EDIFACT INVOIC, but less widely adopted in retail.
Is PEPPOL required in Romania?
For B2G invoices to EU public institutions: yes. For domestic B2B in Romania: not directly, but it's useful for cross-border EU invoicing — B2B customers in France, Germany and the Nordics are increasingly requesting PEPPOL. For invoices purely within Romania, ANAF's e-invoicing platform (UBL 2.1, but through the ANAF channel directly) is sufficient.
Can an ERP send PEPPOL documents directly?
No — every ERP must go through a certified PEPPOL Access Point. EDIconnect is a PEPPOL AP: your ERP sends the invoice to EDIconnect (via API or a native connector), and we convert it to PEPPOL UBL, sign it, and route it to the recipient's Access Point.
How much does PEPPOL cost through EDIconnect?
PEPPOL is included in the standard EDI subscription (from €24-99/month), with no per-document fees. Access Point setup is a one-time cost. Adding new PEPPOL trading partners is free, since the PEPPOL directory is public.