Belgium joins Sweden and Norway as top Peppol partner for Finland
Peppol transactions between Belgium and Finland have surged following Belgium's e-invoicing mandate, with Belgium now ranking among Finland's most active Peppol trading partners. The shift shows how legislation drives cross-border e-invoicing adoption.
Transactions between Belgium and Finland have skyrocketed since Belgium’s e-invoicing mandate took effect, with Belgium now joining Sweden and Norway as one of Finland’s most common Peppol partners. The surge, revealed at Peppol Day Finland 2026, demonstrates how legislation can accelerate cross-border e-invoicing adoption.
Transactions between Belgium and Finland have skyrocketed following Belgium’s e-invoicing mandate. Belgium has rapidly risen to join Sweden and Norway as one of the most common countries with which Finnish companies exchange electronic business documents through Peppol.
The announcement came at Peppol Day Finland 2026, held on 21 April at Finlandia Hall in Helsinki. The conference brought together Peppol Authorities from several countries, industry experts, and companies to discuss how Peppol enables more efficient cross-border trade.
Legislation as a driver
During the event, a question was raised about whether Belgium’s e-invoicing mandate had affected Finland’s Peppol statistics. The answer became clear when new transaction data arrived days after the conference: the effect was substantial.
Serge Libert, Project Manager at the Peppol Authority of Belgium (BOSA), presented Belgium’s e-invoicing journey. The case demonstrates that legislation can be a powerful driver for cross-border trade efficiency, though it is not the only path forward.
Cross-border collaboration beyond mandates
Finland and Japan have also shown how collaboration can unlock e-invoicing potential. The Japan-Finland e-invoicing initiative began when the Finnish Ministry of Social Affairs and Health accidentally sent an e-invoice request to a Japanese company. What started as a mistake became an opportunity to explore cross-border possibilities.
Hiroyuki Kato, Director of the Digital Agency and Cabinet Secretariat at the Government of Japan, hosted a panel discussion on the results. One key outcome was pushing OpenPeppol to extend the PINT model to cover Europe, making e-invoicing possible regardless of national borders. Japanese companies operating in Finland shared their experiences adopting Peppol e-invoicing.
Industry collaboration matters
Ismo Tiittanen, Strategy Director at NCC Finland Ltd, a Nordic construction company, argued that Peppol adoption requires collaboration even among competitors.
“When we win, why should others lose?”
Ismo Tiittanen, Strategy Director at NCC Finland Ltd
Tiittanen explained that entire industries benefit when ordering, logistics, and invoicing processes are digitalised. A single company cannot achieve a truly digital supply chain alone.
Untapped potential remains
Finland describes itself as a logistical island, bordered by sea to the south and west, wilderness to the north, and a closed border to the east. This geography challenges supply chains already burdened by global conditions.
Hannu Kivinen and Noora Salonen, from the Peppol Authority of Finland, challenge other Peppol Authorities to compare their transaction volumes with their countries’ export and import figures. In Finland’s case, this comparison reveals clear untapped potential, particularly with Germany and Nordic neighbours.
The conference was organised in partnership with the Confederation of Finnish Industries (EK) and the Finnish Patent and Registration Office.