European Union: European Union and Singapore published Digital Trade Agreement including interoperability requirements

On 8 April 2025, the European Union and Singapore published the Agreement on Digital Trade, which includes provisions concerning interoperability across digital systems. The agreement provides that each Party is to ensure that measures related to electronic invoicing support cross-border compatibility and are based, where appropriate, on international standards and frameworks. It further states that interoperability between electronic payment systems is to be promoted through the use of open platforms, application programming interfaces, and internationally accepted technical standards. The agreement also includes provisions on regulatory cooperation regarding technical standards and conformity assessment procedures, recognising interoperability as a relevant objective. In addition, it encourages the adoption of legal frameworks for electronic transactions that support cross-border compatibility.