Peppol Brings Core SML Infrastructure In-House
OpenPeppol is preparing to take direct control of one of the network's most critical infrastructure components, marking a significant milestone in the evolution of the global interoperability framework.
The organisation is migrating the Peppol Service Metadata Locator (SML) from infrastructure operated by the European Commission's eDelivery programme to a new OpenPeppol-managed service. The SML plays a central role in Peppol's dynamic discovery model, helping participants identify the correct endpoints for document exchange.
The SML and SMP form the backbone of Peppol's discovery infrastructure. The SML acts as a lookup service, directing participants to the correct Service Metadata Publisher (SMP), which stores the recipient information needed to exchange documents. The SMP contains details such as supported document formats, process identifiers and endpoint addresses, enabling Access Points to identify where and how documents should be delivered. This dynamic discovery model allows organisations to connect across the network without maintaining individual routing arrangements for each trading partner.
For most Peppol users, the change will be largely invisible. Businesses will continue to exchange invoices and other documents as normal, while the underlying discovery mechanism remains unchanged. However, the migration represents a major shift in operational ownership and governance.
According to the European Commission, the move reflects Peppol's growing maturity and scale. The Commission describes eDelivery services as an incubator designed to help emerging interoperability networks establish themselves before eventually operating key services independently. Peppol has now reached that stage. Millions of organisations already participate in the network, and continued growth driven by national e-invoicing mandates is expected to increase directory entries from a few million today to well over ten million from 2026 onwards.
The migration was first announced at the OpenPeppol Conference in June 2025 and is expected to be completed during the second half of 2026. To minimise disruption, OpenPeppol and the European Commission are operating a phased migration programme, including periods where both services will run in parallel.
The transition also comes during a period of significant change across the network. Belgium's e-invoicing mandate has triggered large-scale movements of participant registrations, while the modernisation of Peppol's lookup infrastructure has already seen the removal of legacy CNAME records from the Commission-operated SML.
Beyond the technical migration, the development signals something more significant. As Peppol expands across Europe and beyond, OpenPeppol is increasingly taking ownership of the infrastructure that underpins the network. The move reflects Peppol's transition from a European Commission-supported initiative into a globally governed interoperability ecosystem capable of managing its own critical services and supporting the next phase of growth.
Sources:
OpenPeppol – Request for Interest: Peppol SML
Oxalis – OpenPeppol SML Migration Timeline
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