How to join ECHA’s eDelivery network.
Date: 2019-08-19
Institutions: European Chemicals Agency
Subjects: access to information, administrative formalities, chemical industry, dangerous substance, exchange of information

How to join ECHA’s eDelivery network 

July 2019 

 
 
 
 
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Disclaimer 

How to join ECHA’s eDelivery network  

This document aims to assist users in complying with their obligations under the CLP 
Regulation. However, users are reminded that the text of the CLP Regulation is the only 
authentic legal reference and that the information in this document does not constitute legal 
advice. Usage of the information remains under the sole responsibility of the user. The 
European Chemicals Agency does not accept any liability with regard to the use that may be 
made of the information contained in this document. 

Version 

Changes 

1.0 

Initial publication 

July 2019 

How to join ECHA’s eDelivery network 

Reference: ECHA-2019-R-14-EN 
ISBN: 978-92-9020-698-9 
Cat. Number: ED-04-19-513-EN-N 
DOI: 10.2823/906878 
Publ.date: July 2019 
Language: EN 

© European Chemicals Agency, 2019 
Cover page © European Chemicals Agency 

If you have questions or comments in relation to this document please send them (quote the 
reference and issue date) using the information request form. The information request form 
can be accessed via the Contact ECHA page at: 
http://echa.europa.eu/contact  

European Chemicals Agency 

Mailing address: P.O. Box 400, FI-00121 Helsinki, Finland 
Visiting address: Annankatu 18, Helsinki, Finland 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
How to join ECHA’s eDelivery network 

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Table of Contents 

1. INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................... 5 

1.1. Background .......................................................................................................... 5 
1.2. Purpose ................................................................................................................ 5 
1.3. References ........................................................................................................... 5 
1.4. Glossary ............................................................................................................... 7 
1.5. Roles and responsibilities ........................................................................................ 9 

1.5.1. Appointed Body ................................................................................................................ 9 
1.5.2. ECHA .............................................................................................................................. 9 
1.5.3. CEF Support .................................................................................................................... 9 

2. ON-BOARDING PROCESS ...................................................................................... 10 

2.1. Expression of interest phase .................................................................................. 10 

2.1.1. Request service .............................................................................................................. 11 
2.1.2. Register interest ............................................................................................................. 12 
2.1.3. Send eDelivery documentation package ............................................................................ 13 

2.2. Access point setup phase ....................................................................................... 13 

2.2.1. Deploy access point ........................................................................................................ 14 
2.2.2. Obtain eDelivery certificate for PCN .................................................................................. 14 
2.2.3. Test connectivity ............................................................................................................ 14 
2.2.4. Configure access point to process PCN messages ............................................................... 14 

2.3. Administrative and security phase .......................................................................... 15 

2.3.1. Comply with Specific Security Requirements for access to ECHA’s Information Systems by 

Appointed Bodies during the V1 to V2 transition period ................................................... 16 
2.3.2. Nominate a Security Officer and a User Administrator ......................................................... 17 
2.3.3. Sign and send Declaration of Commitment ........................................................................ 17 
2.3.4. Process Declaration of Commitment .................................................................................. 17 
2.3.5. Processing the nominations and setting up secure remote access; ........................................ 18 

2.4. Test and connection with ECHA phase ..................................................................... 18 

2.4.1. Send access point information to ECHA ............................................................................. 19 
2.4.2. Configure ECHA’s access point ......................................................................................... 19 
2.4.3. Test configuration and connectivity ................................................................................... 19 

3. SERVICE LEVELS ................................................................................................... 21 

4. TERMINATION OF THE SERVICE ........................................................................... 21 

5. SUPPORT MECHANISMS ........................................................................................ 21 

5.1. ECHA .................................................................................................................. 21 
5.2. CEF ..................................................................................................................... 21 

6. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS .................................................................................. 22 

6.1. What happens if the version of Domibus installed by the appointed body is no longer 

supported by CEF? .............................................................................................. 22 

6.2. What happens if an appointed body has technical issues with the backend that processes 

the messages? .................................................................................................... 22 
6.3. What happens if the appointed body needs ECHA to re-send the messages? ................ 22 
6.4. What happens when the eDelivery certificate of the appointed body expires? ............... 22 

 
 
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How to join ECHA’s eDelivery network  

6.5. How can I connect my backend system to the eDelivery access point? ........................ 22 
6.6. Can I reuse an existing installation of Domibus? ....................................................... 22 
6.7. Can I reuse an existing certificate I obtained from CEF PKI service from another 

domain? ............................................................................................................. 22 
6.8. When is a notification considered accepted when using eDelivery? .............................. 23 

Table of Figures 

Figure 1 Diagram of the on-boarding process with the different phases ............................................... 8 

Figure 2 Diagram of Expression of interest phase ............................................................................ 10 

Figure 3 Authorities Contact Form with fields filled in for requesting to be on-boarded to eDelivery ....... 11 

Figure 4 Fields in the contact form to complete the contact details .................................................... 12 

Figure 5 Diagram of Access point setup phase ................................................................................ 13 

Figure 6 Diagram of Administrative and security phase .................................................................... 15 

Figure 7 Contact form with the correct topic ('Other') selected to request support regarding security 
requirements ............................................................................................................................. 17 

Figure 8 Diagram of Test and connection with ECHA phase .............................................................. 18 

Figure 9 Domibus administration console with Message Status and Received columns highlighted ......... 20 

 
 
 
 
 
How to join ECHA’s eDelivery network 

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1. Introduction 

1.1. Background 

Under the Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 on the classification, labelling and packaging of 
substances and mixtures (CLP Regulation), Article 45 and Annex VIII, companies placing 
hazardous mixtures on the European market have an obligation to provide information 
about these mixtures to the relevant national appointed bodies.  

Appointed bodies, thus, need to accept dossiers in the PCN format and can use ECHA 
PCN systems to accept them if they wish to. Appointed bodies in each member state 
make this information available to poison centres so that they can provide rapid medical 
advice in the event of an emergency. 

eDelivery is the automated solution provided by ECHA that appointed bodies can use to 
receive the PCN dossiers submitted to ECHA by industry. eDelivery is an AS4 
specification of the ebMS protocol adopted by the European Commission to facilitate the 
secure communication amongst EC, European Institutions and Member States. EU DIGIT 
has released a sample implementation of the AS4 specification, Domibus, for which they 
offer support to member states and European institutions.  

This service is provided by ECHA together with DIGIT under their Connecting Europe 
Facility (CEF). 

1.2. Purpose 

This document details the steps that appointed bodies need to take in order to start 
receiving poison centre notifications from ECHA using eDelivery. 

1.3. References 

Title 

Description 

[REF1]  CEF eDelivery use for PCN 
system: Solution Description 
Document 

This document describes the technical 
implementation of eDelivery in the 
context of ECHA and PCN. It also gives 
recommendations for the implementation 
of eDelivery for appointed bodies. 

[REF2]  PKI for PCN: Public Key 

Infrastructure Service Offering 
Description 

This document describes how appointed 
bodies can obtain a certificate from CEF 
that needs to be used for accessing 
ECHA’s eDelivery network. 

[REF3]  CEF eDelivery Training and 
Deployment Service Offering 
Description 

This document describes CEF’s service for 
training and deployment of eDelivery. 

 
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Title 

How to join ECHA’s eDelivery network  

Description 

[REF4]  Access Point P-Mode 

Configuration ECHA 

This document describes the configuration 
used to set up access point that are 
compatible with ECHA’s eDelivery 
implementation. 

[REF5]  Connectivity Testing Service 

Offering Description 

This document describes CEF’s service to 
test the successful deployment of an 
eDelivery access point at the appointed 
body’s side. 

[REF6]  Overview of eDelivery and 

PCN 

This presentation gives an overview of 
eDelivery and how it is used in the 
context of PCN. 

[REF7]  Management Board Decision 

15/2019 with Annexes 

The MB Decision 15/2019 approved the 
specific security requirements in the 
context of PCN. Its annexes include 

[REF8]  Declaration of Commitment 

1)  Declaration of Commitment 

2)  Specific Security Requirements for 
access to ECHA’s Information 
Systems by Appointed Bodies 
during the V1 to V2 transition 
period 

This is a sample document of the 
Declaration of Commitment that registers 
the agreement to the requirements of 
accessing ECHA’s IT systems, including 
eDelivery. 

[REF9]  Specific Security 

Requirements for access to ECHA’s 
Information Systems by Appointed 
Bodies during the V1 to V2 
transition period 

The document collects the security 
requirements necessary to fulfil in order 
to access ECHA’s IT systems. 

 
 
 
 
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1.4. Glossary 

Term 

Definition 

Access Point 

Access points are eDelivery nodes that connect to ECHA’s 
eDelivery network. ECHA access point is an installation of 
Domibus, the sample eDelivery implementation provided 
by DIGIT. 

ECHA’s eDelivery network  The network is composed of access points and it is 
accessed exclusively by ECHA’s and its regulatory 
partners. Under the PCN project, it is used to forward PC 
notifications to appointed bodies. 

Digital Certificate 

User administrator 

Security officer 

The digital certificate is a set of files that serve to securely 
identify an access point to the other access points in the 
network. This certificate is obtained through CEF’s PKI 
service as documented in ‘PKI for PCN: Public Key 
Infrastructure Service Offering Description’. This certificate 
should not be confused with the one required for securing 
the communication at the HTTPS level, which should be 
handled and obtained independently by the networking 
team of the appointed body.  

User Administrator is in charge of access management 
(granting and revoking access rights) for authorised users 
to ECHA’s Information systems. eDelivery does not require 
any extra users, but new users could potentially access 
other relevant systems, like the Interact Portal, where the 
Searchable Database of PC notification will be hosted. 

Security Officer is responsible for organisation’s 
compliance with the specific Security Requirements for 
access to ECHA’s Information Systems by appointed body. 
In addition, the officer is responsible for security 
awareness trainings and briefings for end-users before 
granting access to ECHA’s Information Systems. He/she 
provides local security support for organisation’s end-users 
and acts as a security contact point for ECHA.  

Trust-store 

File that contains the public digital certificate 
corresponding to ECHA’s access point. 

 
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How to join ECHA’s eDelivery network  

Figure 1 Diagram of the on-boarding process with the different phases 

eDelivery: On-boarding processECHAABExpression of interest phaseAccess point setup phaseAdmistrative and security phaseTest and connection with ECHA phaseStart processSend documentation packageECHA eDelivery SODECHA eDelivery SDDCEF PKI SODCEF Conn Test SODMB Decision 15/2019ECHA s public keyRequest serviceComply with SSRReady?Ready to receive notificationsYesDeploy access pointTest connectivity (CEF Connectivity Testing Service)Obtain eDelivery certificate (CEF PCN PKI SOD)Send access point info to ECHAConfigure ECHA APTest configuration/connectivityRegister interestSign and send Declaration of Commitment and nominations formsSigned Declaration of CommitmentNomination formsProcess Declaration of CommitmentNominate User Administrator and Security OfficerProcess nominationsConfigure access pointeDeliveryCertificateHTTPS certificateAccess point URLAuthorization DecisionECHA Access instructionsArchive decisioneDelivery contact person informationAccess to ECHA IT-Systems alreadyNoYes 
 
 
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1.5. Roles and responsibilities 

1.5.1. Appointed Body 

Role: Organisation that is setting up eDelivery Access Point 
Responsibilities: 

  Sign the Unified Declaration of Commitment 
  Comply with the Specific Standard Security Requirements 
  Ensure that the access point installation is secure 
  Nominate personnel to represent appointed body at ECHA 
  Obtain and install a security certificate from CEF PKI Service (T-System) to identify an 

 

access point in a secure way  
Independently obtain and install a SSL certificate to secure the HTTPS communication 
between the access points 

1.5.2. ECHA 

Role: Organisation to which the eDelivery Access Point connects to 
Responsibilities: 

  On-board appointed bodies 
  Configure ECHA’s Access Point  

1.5.3. CEF Support 

Role: Organisation that supports eDelivery standard and its correct implementation 
Responsibilities: 

  Support the installation of Domibus (eDelivery Sample Implementation) in Appointed 

Body’s environment 

  Provide digital certificate to Appointed Body 

 
 
 
 
 
 
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How to join ECHA’s eDelivery network  

2. On-boarding process 

The on-boarding process starts by the appointed body expressing their interest in 
implementing eDelivery and requesting the latest version of the documentation package from 
ECHA via the Contact Form for Authorities. 

The on-boarding process consists of 4 phases that are explained in the following sections. 

Once appointed bodies have finished the expression of interest phase they can start in parallel 
the technical phase and administrative and security phase necessary to connect with ECHA’s 
eDelivery access point. 

2.1. Expression of interest phase 

Figure 2 Diagram of Expression of interest phase 

Purpose: Start the on-boarding of the appointed body into the ECHA’s eDelivery network 

Actors:  

  Appointed body 

  ECHA 

Expression of interest phaseAppointed bodyECHAStart processSend documentation packageECHA eDelivery SODECHA eDelivery SDDCEF PKI SODCEF Conn Test SODMB Decision 15/2019ECHA s public keyRequest serviceRegister interesteDelivery contact person informationEnd phase 
 
 
How to join ECHA’s eDelivery network 

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Process:  

1.  Request service 

2.  Register interest 

3.  Send documentation package 

2.1.1. Request service 

Appointed bodies interested in connecting to ECHA’s access point should start by requesting to 
be on-boarded to the service. To do that they should go to Contact Form for Authorities and 
complete the form as shown in the Figure 3 and explained below. 

Figure 3 Authorities Contact Form with fields filled in for requesting to be on-boarded to 
eDelivery 

1)  ‘I need support with’ 

2)  Please select ‘PCNP(v1)’ 

 
 
 
 
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How to join ECHA’s eDelivery network  

3)  In the open comments field please state ‘I want to access ECHA’s eDelivery network in 

the context of Poison Centres’ 

4)  Fill in the contact details as shown in Figure 4. The person you specify will be the 

eDelivery contact in your organisation. This person is responsible for the communication 
flow between ECHA and the appointed body.  

Figure 4 Fields in the contact form to complete the contact details 

2.1.2. Register interest 

ECHA will register the interest and set up the communication channels with the appointed 
body. 

 
 
 
 
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2.1.3. Send eDelivery documentation package 

ECHA will email the appointed body the latest version of the documentation package. Once the 
appointed body receives the documentation package, they can start in parallel the access point 
setup phase and the administrative and security phase of the on-boarding process, see 
following sections. 

The eDelivery documentation package is composed of: 

1)  The terms and conditions for using the service; 

2)  The Specific Security Requirements for access to ECHA’s Information Systems by 

Appointed Bodies during the V1 to V2 transition period; 

3)  A Declaration of Commitment that expresses the commitment of the appointed body to 

comply with the security requirements mentioned above; 

4)  A PCN eDelivery Solution Description Document (SDD) detailing the implementation of 

the eDelivery in the PCN context; 

5)  A PMODE document describing the configuration parameters for ECHA's PCN eDelivery 

implementation; 

6)  A eDelivery Training and Deployment Service Offering Document that details how to 

request and obtain support from CEF to install and use Domibus; 

7)  An eDelivery Connectivity Testing Service Offering Document (SOD) that describes the 
service provided by CEF to test the basic implementation of an eDelivery Access Point; 

8)  An eDelivery Private Key Infrastructure (PKI) for PCN Service Offering Document (SOD) 
that describes the service provided by CEF to obtain certificates to be used in the PCN 
eDelivery domain; 

9)  ECHA’s eDelivery public key file. 

2.2. Access point setup phase 

Figure 5 Diagram of Access point setup phase 

Access point setup phaseAppointed bodyCEFDeploy access pointTest connectivity (CEF Connectivity Testing Service)Obtain eDelivery certificate (CEF PCN PKI SOD)Configure access pointeDeliveryCertificateStart phaseNoAccess point works?YesEnd phase 
 
 
 
 
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How to join ECHA’s eDelivery network  

Purpose: The appointed body prepares an eDelivery access point to be able to connect to 
ECHA’s eDelivery network. 

Actors:  

  Appointed body 

  ECHA 

  CEF 

Process:  

1.  Deploy access point 

2.  Obtain eDelivery certificate for PCN (can be done in parallel with step 1) 

3.  Test connectivity 

4.  Configure access point to process PCN messages 

2.2.1. Deploy access point 

The appointed body will install and configure an access point that complies with the eDelivery 
specification. 

Appointed body can select an eDelivery solution provider to prepare their access point. It is 
recommended that they install Domibus in their own data centres. 

Domibus installation and basic configuration are described in Documentation section of the 
Domibus webpage. Installation should be prepared and aligned to the requirements described 
in the PCN eDelivery Solution Description Document. 

Appointed bodies can request training and deployment services from CEF to assist them in 
installing and configuring Domibus. More information can be found in its Service Offering 
Document. 

2.2.2. Obtain eDelivery certificate for PCN 

Communication with appointed bodies through eDelivery are secured via a digital certificate. 
The service requires appointed bodies to request the certificate from DIGIT’s service provider. 
Details about the process are available in the PKI for PCN: Public Key Infrastructure Service 
Offering Description. 

2.2.3. Test connectivity 

The appointed body needs to successfully pass the connectivity test organized by CEF in their 
eDelivery Connectivity Testing service. More information about CEF’s eDelivery Connectivity 
Testing can be found in its Service Offering Document.  

Testing will ensure that installation has been done properly.  

2.2.4. Configure access point to process PCN messages 

The eDelivery access point of the appointed body needs to process the PCN messages received 
from ECHA’s access point. This processing needs to ensure that the dossier included in the 
message is stored in the appointed body’s backend of choice. 

 
 
How to join ECHA’s eDelivery network 

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To configure the access point, the appointed body needs to at least: 

  Apply to the access point the configuration detailed in the PMode document.  

o 

If the appointed body is using Domibus, they can request a sample PMode file 
for their access point from ECHA 

 

Install the certificate obtained from CEF 

o 

If the appointed body is using Domibus, they can follow the instructions found in 
the eDelivery PKI for PCN Service Offering Document and in Domibus’ 
administration guide. 

 

Install ECHA’s eDelivery public key file 

o 

If the appointed body is using Domibus, they can follow the instructions found in 
the eDelivery PKI for PCN Service Offering Document and in Domibus’ 
administration guide 

  Connect their back-end system with their own eDelivery access point 

o 

If the appointed body is using Domibus, ECHA provides support for configuring 
Domibus’ filesystem plugin. This plugin will copy the message attachment to a 
destination folder. Other Domibus’ plugins can communicate directly with 
existing backend systems via, e.g., SOAP interface. Documentation for Domibus’ 
plugins can be found in Domibus pages. 

2.3. Administrative and security phase 

Figure 6 Diagram of Administrative and security phase 

Purpose: Appointed body have access to ECHA information systems 

Actors:  

  Appointed body 

Admistrative and security phaseAppointed bodyECHAComply with SSRSign and send Declaration of Commitment and nominations formsSigned Declaration of CommitmentNomination formsProcess Declaration of CommitmentNominate User Administrator and Security OfficerProcess nominationsAuthorization DecisionECHA Access instructionsArchive decisionAccess to ECHA IT-Systems already?NoStart phaseEnd of phaseYes 
 
 
 
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  ECHA 

Process: 

How to join ECHA’s eDelivery network  

Appointed  bodies  that  have  unified  access  to  the  ECHA  Information  Systems  do  not  need  to 
implement any additional requirements and can proceed with technical implementation.  

Appointed bodies that have not yet signed the unified Declaration of Commitment shall: 

1.  Comply with the specific Security Requirements (MB decision 15/2019, Annex 4) for 
access to ECHA’s Information Systems by Appointed Bodies during the V1 to V2 
transition period; 

2.  Nominate a Security Officer and a User Administrator; 

3.  Sign and send the original copy of the unified Declaration of Commitment (MB decision 
15/2019, Annex 1) together with the nomination forms to confirm the organization’s 
compliance with the specific Security Requirements; 

4.  ECHA's Executive Director reviews and authorises the access for organisation; 

5.  Processing the nominations and setting up secure remote access; 

2.3.1. Comply with Specific Security Requirements for access to ECHA’s 
Information Systems by Appointed Bodies during the V1 to V2 transition 
period 

The Specific Security Requirements for access to ECHA’s Information Systems by Appointed 
Bodies during the V1 to V2 transition period (SSR) define the security requirements that 
appointed bodies must comply with and fulfil in order to have access to ECHA’s eDelivery 
network. 

Questions regarding the SSR or requests for support should be addressed to ECHA using the 
Contact Form for Authorities as shown in  

 
 
 
 
 
How to join ECHA’s eDelivery network 

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Figure 7. 

 
 
 
 
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How to join ECHA’s eDelivery network  

Figure 7 Contact form with the correct topic ('Other') selected to request support regarding 
security requirements 

2.3.2. Nominate a Security Officer and a User Administrator 

The appointed body needs to nominate a Security Officer and a User Administrator: 

2.3.3. Sign and send Declaration of Commitment 

Once the appointed body fully ensure compliance with the SSR, they can send the Declaration 
of Commitment together with the nomination forms to ECHA by post to European Chemicals 
Agency Annankatu 18, P.O. Box 400, FI-00121 Helsinki, Finland. The Declaration of 
Commitment needs to be signed by the legal representative of the appointed body. A signatory 
of Declaration of Commitment is accountable of organisation’s compliance with all the 
requirements in the declaration. 

2.3.4. Process Declaration of Commitment 

Upon receipt of the signed Declaration of Commitment, ECHA will process the request of the 
appointed body for unified access to ECHA’s Information systems. A formal authorisation 

 
 
 
How to join ECHA’s eDelivery network 

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decision by ECHA’s Executive Director will be communicated to the appointed body. 

2.3.5. Processing the nominations and setting up secure remote access; 

ECHA will process the nominations of Security Officers and User Administrators and will issue 
relevant access rights to S-CIRCABC interest groups and Identity and Access Management 
Portal (for User Administrator only).  

2.4. Test and connection with ECHA phase 

Figure 8 Diagram of Test and connection with ECHA phase 

Purpose: Check that all the requirements for connection to ECHA’s access point are met and 
set up ECHA’s access point 

Actors:  

  Appointed body 

  ECHA 

Process:  

1.  Send access point information to ECHA 

2.  Configure ECHA’s access point 

3.  Test configuration and connectivity 

Test and connection with ECHA  phaseAppointed bodyECHAReady to receive notificationsSend access point info to ECHAConfigure ECHA APTest configuration/connectivityHTTPS certificateAccess point URLStart of phase 
 
 
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How to join ECHA’s eDelivery network  

2.4.1. Send access point information to ECHA 

Once the appointed body has fulfilled the access point setup phase and the security and 
administrative phase, it is time to set up the connection with ECHA’s access point. In order for 
ECHA to configure its access point, the appointed body needs to send the following information 
to poisoncentres@echa.europa.eu: 

  URL of the access point 

  Certificate used to secure the HTTPS connection to the access point 

2.4.2. Configure ECHA’s access point 

ECHA will set up the access point with the information provided. In particular: 

  Set up access point truststore with appointed bodies public certificate for eDelivery 

obtained from T-Systems platform 

  Set up its own Domibus’ filesystem plugin to direct messages to the appointed body’s 

access point as defined by the URL 

  Set up eDelivery application server to recognize the HTTPS certificate provided by the 

appointed body 

2.4.3. Test configuration and connectivity 

This testing step will make sure that ECHA’s and appointed body’s access points can 
communicate with each other. 

ECHA and the appointed body will arrange a suitable time for the testing session. This initial 
testing session will consist of sending and receiving a PCN message, as defined in the PCN 
eDelivery Solution Description Document. 

The steps for the first message delivery are the following: 

  ECHA copies the message content to the output folder of its Domibus installation 

  ECHA checks from the administrator console of its access point that the message has 

been correctly sent 

  ECHA informs the appointed body of the successful sending 

Appointed body checks from the administrator console of its access point that the message has 
been received, see  

 
 
 
 
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Figure 9. 

 
 
 
 
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How to join ECHA’s eDelivery network  

Figure 9 Domibus administration console with Message Status and Received columns 
highlighted 

  Appointed body informs ECHA of the successful receiving and processing of the 

message 

  Appointed body informs ECHA in writing on the acceptance of the Terms and Conditions 

of the service and of the date they want to start receiving messages in production 
mode, and whether they want to receive the notifications sent to them before this date. 

If more testing is required the appointed body can request via Contact Form for Authorities. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
How to join ECHA’s eDelivery network 

23 

3. Service levels 

ECHA eDelivery network aims to be operational 99.5% of the time, 24/7. 

Planned downtime for upgrades will be communicated in advance to the eDelivery contact 
person for each appointed body. 

Appointed body is requested to communicate planned downtime of their access point to ECHA 
via the Contact Form for Authorities. If the access point of the appointed body is down for 
unplanned reasons for more than 3 days, the appointed body should contact via the Contact 
Form for Authorities. In that cases, ECHA will temporarily stop sending messages to the 
appointed body’s access point until they communicate that its access point is ready to receive 
messages again. 

4. Termination of the service 

Appointed body can create a request to be removed from ECHA’s eDelivery network, and to 
stop receiving messages, by using the Contact Form for Authorities. The request needs to 
include the termination date. 

5. Support mechanisms 

Appointed bodies can contact ECHA or CEF depending on the issue. 

5.1. ECHA 

Contact ECHA if you have issues related to: 

1) the connection to ECHA’s eDelivery access point and  

2) the delivery of eDelivery messages 

Support can be requested via the Contact Form for Authorities. 

ECHA’s business hours are 09:00–18:00 (EET) from Monday to Fridays 

5.2. CEF 

Appointed bodies can get support in eDelivery implementation matters from CEF by requesting 
support service at their Service Desk webpage: 

https://ec.europa.eu/cefdigital/wiki/display/CEFDIGITAL/eDelivery+Service+Desk  

CEF can also be reached by email at the address below: 

 cef-eDelivery-support@ec.europa.eu 

CEF’s business hours are 08:00–18:00 (CET) from Monday to Fridays 

 
 
 
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How to join ECHA’s eDelivery network  

6. Questions and answers 

6.1. What happens if the version of Domibus installed by the appointed 
body is no longer supported by CEF? 

CEF supports each Long Term Support Domibus release for two years. Otherwise, CEF supports 
the rest of releases for one year. Appointed bodies are advised to upgrade to the most recent 
version of Domibus to guarantee support from CEF and to ensure found vulnerabilities are 
addressed.  

The eDelivery network will continue to work independently of the version used by the 
appointed body, unless critical vulnerabilities need to be patched to maintain the security 
assurances of eDelivery. 

6.2. What happens if an appointed body has technical issues with the 
backend that processes the messages? 

The appointed body should communicate with ECHA to temporarily suspend the service while 
they address the technical issues using the Contact Form for Authorities. 

6.3. What happens if the appointed body needs ECHA to re-send the 
messages? 

If for some reason, the appointed body needs previously sent messages, they should create a 
request using the Contact Form for Authorities specifying which messages, e.g., resend those 
message within a timeframe. ECHA will consider the feasibility of the proposal and re-send 
those messages if possible. 

6.4. What happens when the eDelivery certificate of the appointed 
body expires? 

The appointed body has to renew their eDelivery certificate before it expires. To obtain the 
new certificate they need to follow the CEF PKI process described in ‘PKI for PCN: Public Key 
Infrastructure Service Offering Description’. Once obtained, they need to inform ECHA of the 
successful renewal using Contact Form for Authorities. 

6.5. How can I connect my backend system to the eDelivery access 
point? 

Domibus provides several plugins to connect the access point to other systems. It also 
provides an API for the creation of new plugins. The Domibus webpage offers a ‘Plugin 
Cookbook’ with instructions and advice for plugin developers. 

6.6. Can I reuse an existing installation of Domibus? 

From version 4.0 onwards, Domibus supports multiple domains (multi-tenancy). This means a 
single installation of Domibus can connect to several eDelivery networks.  

6.7. Can I reuse an existing certificate I obtained from CEF PKI service 
from another domain? 

No, you cannot reuse an existing certificate to connect to ECHA’s. 

 
 
How to join ECHA’s eDelivery network 

25 

6.8. When is a notification considered accepted when using eDelivery? 

eDelivery only informs to the notification submitter that a notification has been successfully 
downloaded by the appointed body. It is up to the appointed body to decide the acceptance 
process for the notifications. Appointed bodies can follow up a process with the submitter using 
the contact information found in the notification dossier. 

 
 
EUROPEAN CHEMICALS AGENCY 
ANNANKATU 18, P.O. BOX 400, 
FI-00121 HELSINKI, FINLAND 
ECHA.EUROPA.EU