Understanding EN 16931: Progress Toward EU Alignment

The reason we can call someone in another country, on a different network, without thinking about formats or compatibility is because standards connect us behind the scenes. That same principle is now reshaping e-invoicing in Europe, with EN 16931 at the centre.

Europe’s e-invoicing landscape has grown in a fragmented way, with national formats, local rules, and country-specific approaches creating real challenges for cross-border exchange. EN 16931 was introduced as the EU’s standard to bring greater alignment while still allowing countries the flexibility they need to meet domestic requirements.

In this webinar with ecosio on May 6th, we will break down what EN 16931 actually covers, why the EU chose it as the foundation for standardising e-invoicing adoption, and how it is being applied in practice across member states.

Drawing on ecosio’s analysis of these developments over the past 16 years, we will explore:

·       What EN 16931 includes and why it was created

·       How extensions are used, and why national implementations differ

·       How EN 16931 supports domestic mandates and cross-border exchange

·       What EN 16931 means in practice for AP, AR, and indirect tax teams

·        How far EU harmonisation is likely to go by 2030

·       What ViDA changes, and where challenges are likely to remain

This session is ideal for shared services, finance, tax, IT, and compliance professionals looking for a clear, realistic view of how to prepare their organizations for current and forthcoming e-invoicing mandates and the future of e-invoicing globally.