Inquiry in connection with eInvoices

[Szabó Áron <aron@ik.bme.hu>]

Dear Jon,

you've written that convergence and finalization of IDA and UBL message
formats can be achieved by April of 2005. Could you give me a short overview
about the present situtation? There is a big pressure on technical experts
in Hungary in connection with eInvoicing, but we would like to advise a
finalized (maybe UBL v1.1?), EU-accepted form (XML schema) to public
administration, and government.

Other questions:
1) Will UBL adopt those messages that have been constructed in IDA
e-Procurement (such as e-Awarding, e-Tendering)?
2) Will UBL adopt other messages that are already constructed and used in
EDI systems (EDIFACT messages)?
3) Apporaximately when will negotiations finish between UBL TC and
IDA/IDABC?

Thanks in advance!
Best regards,
Aron Szabo

---

| the specification of the XML schema of electronic invoices
| (accepted by European Union) is still not so clear for me. The
| language of ebXML - UBL - contains a structure that would be
| supported by CEN/ISSS, UN/CEFACT and ISO (they support the usage
| of ebXML). On the other hand IDA (Interchange of Data between
| Administrations), the organization of the European Union has
| constructed an eInvoice structure in the "e-Procurement" project
| (based on OGC, eHandel and UBL v0.7). This document was issued
| first in June, 2004 and the v2.0 in October, 2004.

IDA has done excellent work in identifying the gaps between IDA
requirements and the UBL 1.0 schemas.  I have invited IDA and
CEN/ISSS to use the release of UBL 1.1 next year as an opportunity
to converge on a uniform invoice that would meet European
requirements, but given that we need to have all such inputs to
UBL 1.1 by April 2005, it's an open question whether this can be
accomplished in time for the 1.1 release cycle.  We should know by
the end of this year whether the convergence we're all looking for
can be achieved in 2005 or will have to wait till later.

Jon Bosak
Chair, OASIS UBL TC