Key takeaways
- A Peppol Authority governs the Peppol network within a territory: it accredits providers and enforces the rules.
- In Belgium, this role is fulfilled by the Federal Public Service Policy and Support (FPS BOSA).
- OpenPeppol remains the international coordinating authority; FPS BOSA is the Belgian national authority.
- In practice, a business never contacts FPS BOSA: it invoices through an accredited access point.
The Peppol Authority, the body that governs Peppol in a country
The Peppol network belongs to no one in particular, but it is not without a guardian. In every territory, a Peppol Authority makes sure the network runs by the same rules for everyone. In Belgium, that authority has a name: the Federal Public Service Policy and Support, better known as FPS BOSA. Understanding its role means understanding who guarantees that an invoice sent over Peppol actually reaches the right recipient, in a format that will be accepted.
A Peppol Authority is the body designated to govern Peppol within a given jurisdiction. It is neither a technical operator nor an access point: it is a governance body. It accredits the service providers that operate the network, ensures the specifications are respected and acts as a relay between local players and the international organisation that steers Peppol.
FPS BOSA, the Belgian Peppol Authority
The Federal Public Service Policy and Support is the federal service in charge of transversal missions for the state, including support for digital transformation. It is on that basis that it fulfils the Peppol Authority duties for Belgium: the role fits naturally within its mission of digitalising administrative and economic exchanges.
In practice, being the Belgian Peppol Authority covers several responsibilities. FPS BOSA accredits the providers that want to operate on the network in Belgium, ensures the Peppol rules and specifications are respected, facilitates the resolution of exchange problems between operators and maintains cooperation between the players that run the network together.
What the Belgian Peppol Authority does
Accredit service providers
Frame and validate the operators that run Peppol access points in Belgium.
Enforce the Peppol rules
Ensure compliance with the network's specifications and procedures.
Facilitate incident resolution
Act as a coordination point when an exchange between operators goes wrong.
Run the local community
Organise the Belgian Peppol Service Provider Forum, where network developments are discussed.
OpenPeppol and FPS BOSA: international coordination, national application
Peppol governance works at two levels. At the top, OpenPeppol, the international non-profit association that owns and develops the specifications, acts as the coordinating authority (Peppol Coordinating Authority). It also acts as the Peppol Authority in countries that have not designated a national one.
Below that, each national authority applies this framework on its own territory. FPS BOSA is the Peppol Authority for Belgium. The two levels do not compete: they fit together. Authorities operate under standard agreements, notably the Peppol Authority Agreement and the Peppol Authority Specific Requirements, which set their obligations towards the network.
| OpenPeppol | FPS BOSA | |
|---|---|---|
| Owns and develops the Peppol specifications | ||
| Coordinates the network internationally | ||
| Accredits providers on Belgian territory | ||
| Runs the local Peppol community |
Provider accreditation and the Belgian forum
The core mission of a national Peppol Authority is provider accreditation. An operator that wants to offer an access point in Belgium goes through an accreditation procedure with the Belgian authority within FPS BOSA: it becomes a member of the OpenPeppol AISBL and signs the Peppol service provider agreement with the Belgian authority. It is this dual commitment that lets a provider connect businesses to the network.
FPS BOSA also runs the Belgian Peppol Service Provider Forum, a venue where Belgian providers and the authority discuss network developments, in Belgium and internationally. This forum is where local practices are coordinated and where field-level difficulties surface.
governance levels
OpenPeppol (international) and FPS BOSA (national)
Belgian Peppol Authority
the Federal Public Service Policy and Support
accredits providers
the access-point operators in Belgium
Invoice through a Peppol access point, with no step at the authority
YouInv relies on an accredited provider to send and receive your invoices on the Peppol network. You enter the data, YouInv handles the rest.
What it changes for your business
For a business that invoices, the good news is simple: you have nothing to do with FPS BOSA. The authority governs the network and accredits providers; it does not process businesses' invoices. You go through an access point, usually built into your invoicing software, and it is your provider that is accredited.
You should also avoid confusing two things. The Peppol Authority defines how the network works; it does not decide the e-invoicing mandate. In Belgium, the B2B mandate comes from the law and the tax authority, not from FPS BOSA. For the timeline and scope of that mandate, see Peppol in Belgium: the B2B mandate on 1 January 2026.
Further reading
- Understanding the Peppol network in 5 minutes: the four-corner model and access points.
- Peppol access point: what it is for: the technical link that carries your invoices.
- Peppol in Belgium: the B2B mandate on 1 January 2026: who is in scope and from when.
The reference source is authoritative: the Belgium country profile published by OpenPeppol, which designates FPS BOSA as the Belgian Peppol Authority.
What is a Peppol Authority?
A Peppol Authority is the body designated to govern the Peppol network within a given jurisdiction. It accredits service providers, ensures the Peppol rules are followed and acts as the link with OpenPeppol, the association that coordinates the network internationally.
Who is the Peppol Authority in Belgium?
In Belgium, the Peppol Authority role is fulfilled by the Federal Public Service Policy and Support (FPS BOSA), the federal service in charge of the state's digital transformation. FPS BOSA accredits Belgian service providers and runs the Belgian Peppol Service Provider Forum.
What is the difference between OpenPeppol and FPS BOSA?
OpenPeppol is the Peppol Coordinating Authority that governs the network globally and acts as the authority in countries with no national authority. FPS BOSA is the national Peppol Authority for Belgium: it applies the Peppol framework on Belgian territory.
Do you need to contact FPS BOSA to send a Peppol invoice?
No. As a business, you go through a Peppol access point, usually built into your invoicing software. FPS BOSA accredits the providers that operate those access points; it does not process businesses' invoices directly.
Does the Peppol Authority set the e-invoicing mandate?
No. The Belgian B2B mandate comes from the law, not from the Peppol Authority. FPS BOSA governs how the Peppol network operates; the timeline and scope of the mandate are a matter for the legislator and the tax authority.
