France’s e-Invoicing reform: June 13th updates, penalties, and why Tradeshift should be your PDP of choice

France is entering the execution phase of its e-invoicing reform. The latest meeting on June 13th with the FNFE and AFNOR confirmed that the groundwork is no longer theoretical

By Ioana Ploesteanu, Product Marketing Manager, Tradeshift

In the recent June 13th meeting with the FNFE and AFNOR, we learned that French compliance systems are being activated, standards are nearing completion, and registered PDPs are taking a leadership role in the process.

Tradeshift is actively participating as a registered PDP to all FNFE and AFNOR meetings staying up to date with all the requirements. This proactive engagement allows us to not only maintain alignment but also to remain at the forefront, as demonstrated by our current production status with the Annuaire.

The following article outlines recent developments, key considerations, and why businesses can rely on Tradeshift’s platform to ensure ongoing compliance throughout all stages of the French e-invoicing mandate.

👉 On June 11th, we hosted an Ask Us Anything virtual round table for the France e-invoicing mandate and our PDP solution. Watch it here.

Key takeaways from the June 13 FNFE & AFNOR meeting

Several critical pieces of France’s e-invoicing infrastructure are either going live or nearing completion:

1. PPF Directory Launch – June 27, 2025

France’s central directory of e-invoicing participants, known as the Annuaire, enters production. This enables routing and validation across registered PDPs. With 50 PDPs already qualified, Tradeshit being one of them, the switchover for platform infrastructure is beginning immediately.

2. AFNOR Standards Progressing Rapidly

 AFNOR subgroups SG1 through SG5 are finalizing key technical standards:

• XP Z12-012 for invoice formats (UBL, CII)
• XP Z12-014 for B2B and e-reporting use cases
• XP Z12-013 for API protocols

These will form the technical foundation of the mandate. Tradeshift is prepared to support them as they become final.

3. France Takes Control as Peppol Authority

France is on track to formally become a Peppol Authority. The Peppol community and network have already adapted to fully support the requirements of the French e-invoicing reform, including the integration of new document types such as CII (CEDAR) and Factur-X. In parallel, the French Peppol Authority is expected to assume its role this summer, becoming the official regulatory body for all Peppol-based document exchanges in France. Tradeshift has been a Certified Peppol Access Point since 2014.

4. Directory and API Enhancements Ongoing

Daily data synchronization with INSEE will improve the quality and reliability of company metadata. Updates to business-rule validations—such as VAT-rate checks and character field constraints—are being integrated into directory APIs.

5. AI-Driven Validation Is Moving Forward

AFNOR has begun using AI to generate Schematron validation patterns for invoice formats. Version 0.5 is now available for review, with version 1.0 scheduled for release in July. Tradeshift’s infrastructure is built to absorb these updates rapidly.

6. Flexibility Added to PDF Handling Rules

A structured invoice can be paired with a PDF that contains supplemental fields. When flagged correctly, the PDF will be treated as the main file. This update departs from the earlier requirement for strict semantic alignment between structured data and human-readable format.

Financial penalties are defined and avoidable

The French government has laid out clear financial consequences for non-compliance:

E-Invoicing errors:

• €15 per invoice not issued electronically
• Annual cap of €15,000
• One-time waiver if corrected within 30 days (available through 2027)

E-Reporting failures:

• €250 per unreported transmission
• Annual cap of €45,000
• Same waiver terms as above

PDP obligations:

• €15 per invoice and €750 per failed transmission if the PDP fails to forward required data
• Annual cap of €45,000

These aren’t speculative penalties. They’re codified and structured to scale with operational errors. Businesses that wait too long to connect with a qualified PDP risk both financial cost and operational disruption.

Why Tradeshift is the PDP of record

Choosing the right Partner Dematerialization Platform (PDP) isn’t just about ticking a compliance box, it’s about choosing a partner that will grow with the mandate and reduce risk every step of the way. Here’s why businesses are turning to Tradeshift:

Proven qualification:

Tradeshift is already listed among the first 50 PDPs cleared for France’s new invoicing architecture. We’re production-ready and integrated with the public directory (Annuaire).

Full Peppol compliance:

As France formalizes its role as a Peppol Authority, Tradeshift’s embedded Peppol capabilities and its certification as a Peppol Access Point since 2014 ensure smooth interoperability across Europe and beyond. No bolt-on tools required.

Real-time AI-adaptable validation:

The use of AI in validation will accelerate rule changes. Tradeshift’s flexible architecture means rapid updates without disruption—especially important as Schematron rules evolve.

Enterprise-grade visibility:

Our dashboards offer real-time insight into compliance status, invoice flow, reporting metrics, and error resolution. Everything is centralized, traceable, and exportable.

Designed for scale:

Tradeshift processes millions of documents across a global network, delivering the kind of resilience and redundancy needed in high-stakes regulatory environments.

The window for smooth compliance is now

Businesses aren’t expected to comply with the new invoicing model by June 27, but that date still matters. It marks the operational start of France’s infrastructure. Platform providers are shifting from development to deployment, and the ecosystem is locking into place.

Those who start integration and testing now will be ready before enforcement begins. Those who delay may find themselves bottlenecked when the compliance rush hits.

Tradeshift is ready. The system is ready. The question is—are you?