On 19 August 2011, the Council of Ministers approved an agreement to promote the establishment and use of electronic invoices (eInvoices) by supporting their deployment in the public and private sectors, as well as to establish a national multilateral forum for electronic invoicing.
The agreement provides for the adoption of the following measures:
- The Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism will be competent for the promotion of the widespread use of eInvoicing in Spain’s private sector, with particular emphasis on SMEs.
- The Ministry of Territorial Policy and Public Administration will be responsible for encouraging the widespread use of eInvoicing in Central Government.
- Creation, within the framework of the Law of 14 April 1997 on the Organisation and Operation of the General State Administration (no.6/1997), of a technical committee for the widespread use of eInvoicing. It will assist the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism and the Ministry of Territorial Policy and Public Administration by advising them on developing the above-mentioned missions.
- The Ministry of Territorial Policy and Public Administration, through the Secretary of State for the Civil Service, is to lead the concept and development of a central management service (CMS) for eInvoicing in 2011, which will comprise a single entry point for eInvoices intended for Central Government bodies and their respective autonomous entities and government agencies as defined by Law 28/2006 of 18 July 2006. This CMS will constitute the sole method for the receipt and issuance of eInvoices; furthermore, it will provide storage and safekeeping functions for eInvoices.
- Creation of a national multilateral forum on eInvoicing.
Under this agreement, the national multilateral forum will be composed of members of the technical committee and industry representatives. In addition, representatives of the Standing Committee of the Advisory Board for Telecommunications and Information Society of the Autonomous Communities and the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces will also take part in the forum.
Some of the forum’s functions are to:
- propose initiatives to promote the adoption of eInvoicing in Spain, in areas such as policy or standardisation and interoperability;
- advise on the development and implementation of actions for the widespread use of eInvoicing in Spain;
- collaborate in efforts to expand the use of eInvoicing in Spain, particularly among SMEs;
- facilitate the exchange of experiences and best practices in the development process and implementation of eInvoicing in Spain;
- carry out, where appropriate, reviews and studies on the adoption of eInvoicing in different economic sectors.
- Representatives of the forum will participate in the EC-backed European eInvoicing Forum. The European Forum is to be composed of representatives of national fora and European associations linked to the development and implementation of eInvoicing. It will also be comprised of other organisations and working groups tasked with facilitating the exchange of experiences and best practices to assist the EC in identifying measures in the adoption and widespread use of eInvoicing in all member states.Source: www.epractice.eu
es on