The IDU is the French EPR registration number: one per producer and per stream, recorded in ADEME's register once an approved eco-organisation accepts your membership. A foreign company without a French establishment obtains it through a France-established representative (Article L. 541-10-9-1, since 10 July 2026) and must show it in its French terms of sale.
Sooner or later a marketplace, a business customer or an inspector asks for it. This guide covers what the IDU is, where it comes from, where it must appear, what changes it, and how marketplaces check it.
What does IDU stand for, and what is it?#
Identifiant unique, or unique identifier: the number that proves a producer is registered for a given EPR stream. Every producer of products covered by a French EPR stream needs one per stream it operates in.
It is an alphanumeric code issued for one producer in one stream. It does not need renewing each year: it stays valid while your eco-organisation membership is active, and lapses if that membership ends.
The IDU is attached to the producer, not to the representative. If you change French representative, your IDU stays with you. If you later set up a French subsidiary that becomes the seller of record, that subsidiary is a different legal entity and registers with its own IDU.
Where does the IDU come from?#
From the national register of producers created by Article L. 541-10-13 of the Code de l'environnement (AGEC law of 10 February 2020) and run by ADEME through its SYDEREP service. The eco-organisation you join triggers the registration.
The path runs as follows:
- You sign a written mandate with a France-established representative (required since 10 July 2026 for any producer not established in France, EU or not).
- Your representative files your membership with the relevant eco-organisation (Citeo or Léko for household packaging, Ecosystem for WEEE, and so on; for textile, you sign the Refashion membership and we act as your declaring facilitator under your power of attorney).
- The eco-organisation accepts the membership and issues a membership certificate (attestation d'adhésion).
- The registration reaches ADEME's register and the IDU is issued.
- The IDU becomes searchable on SYDEREP.
How long does it take? It depends on the eco-organisation. Citeo issues the identifier about seven business days after the membership is validated. Léko issues it about five business days after its initial invoice is paid; that invoice must be paid within five business days, otherwise the membership is cancelled. Refashion issues it after membership, the signed contract and your first declaration and payment, then about ten business days. Ecosystem issues it after your first declaration has been filed and paid. Professional packaging (EPRO): registration is open now, eco-contributions from 1 January 2027. We file your membership within two business days of receiving the signed mandate, the first invoice payment and the deposit.
Need a French EPR representative for your business?
We are EPR France specialists for foreign sellers. Fixed annual fee per stream, from €190/year excl. VAT, confirmed in a written quote within one business day. IDU in days, not weeks.
Does one IDU cover every stream?#
No. IDUs are assigned per stream, not per company, and this is the most common confusion among foreign sellers. A seller of electronic devices in retail packaging needs at least three:
- WEEE (through Ecosystem or Ecologic)
- Batteries (through Ecosystem, which we recommend, or Batribox)
- Household packaging (through Citeo, Léko or Adelphe)
Each IDU has its own eco-organisation, declaration calendar and marketplace field. A seller registered for packaging only can still be blocked for a missing WEEE identifier. Map your products against the 19 French EPR streams before registering; most foreign e-commerce sellers need two to four IDUs, all handled under one mandate.
Where must you display the IDU?#
In your French terms of sale, which the law requires, and on every marketplace that asks for it. Invoices and storefront footers are good practice.
Your terms of sale (CGV). Article R. 541-173 of the Code de l'environnement requires producers to state their IDU in their terms of sale or, failing those, in any other contractual document given to the buyer, and on their website if they have one. List each IDU with its stream.
Amazon Seller Central. The EPR section of the compliance settings asks for the identifier and the eco-organisation for each French stream. Amazon checks it; Seller Central states its current policy.
ManoMano, Cdiscount, Fnac Marketplace, TikTok Shop France. Each has its own compliance portal and asks for the same thing: the IDU per stream, with the eco-organisation named.
Invoices and B2B documentation. Showing the IDU on invoices and order confirmations helps business customers, who often ask for it in supplier compliance files.
Not on the product. The IDU does not go on the product. Household packaging carries the Triman logo and Info-tri instead.
What happens when something changes?#
Most changes are routine if handled in order. The IDU only changes when the producer or the eco-organisation changes.
You change French representative. Your IDU stays. The eco-organisation file changes contact; the membership continues and marketplaces keep checking the same number. See switching representative without losing your IDU.
You switch eco-organisation within a stream (Citeo to Léko for household packaging, for example). Permitted, since both are approved for the stream. Terminate one membership, sign the other, then update the marketplaces with the new eco-organisation and, if one is issued, the new IDU.
You add a product category. If it falls under a new stream, you register for that stream and receive an additional IDU. Add it to your terms of sale and to the marketplaces.
A marketplace rejects a valid IDU. Usually a name mismatch or a membership in transition. Send the membership certificate as backup and ask your representative to raise it with the eco-organisation. See IDU not recognised on Amazon France.
The eco-organisation ends your membership. Rare, and usually linked to unpaid contributions or serious declaration failures. Without an active membership the IDU no longer proves registration, and marketplaces suspend listings.
How do you verify your IDU?#
Search for it on SYDEREP by legal name or by number. The record shows the producer name as registered, the IDU, the stream and the eco-organisation.
The registered name is what marketplaces compare against, character for character. Check that the name on SYDEREP matches the legal name on your marketplace account exactly before any upload; a mismatch is a common cause of failed checks.
Why does a new IDU show as "not found"?#
Because publication lags approval. The eco-organisation accepts the membership, the registration reaches ADEME, then the IDU becomes searchable on SYDEREP; a marketplace can return "not found" in between.
Do not upload during that gap: repeated failed checks can flag your account. The timing depends on the eco-organisation: about seven business days after the membership is validated at Citeo; about five business days after the initial invoice is paid at Léko (payable within five business days, otherwise the membership is cancelled); after the signed contract, the first declaration and its payment, then about ten business days, at Refashion; after the first declaration has been filed and paid at Ecosystem.
What do marketplaces actually check?#
That the IDU exists, belongs to your company, and covers the stream of each product you list. A WEEE identifier does not unlock packaging-only listings, and a battery identifier does not unlock furniture.
When a check fails, the marketplace sends a compliance notice through Seller Central or its equivalent, with a deadline to fix it before listings are removed. Answer the first notice promptly: prevention is faster than recovery.
Is an IDU the same as an EU product-safety or VAT number?#
No. The IDU proves EPR registration in France only. An EU Responsible Person or Authorised Representative covers product safety, and a VAT number or fiscal representative covers tax; neither produces an IDU. See EPR representative vs EU authorised representative.
How do you obtain your IDU as a foreign seller?#
Through a representative established in France; registering alone from outside France is no longer an option.
-
Appoint a representative. A written mandate under Article L. 541-10-9-1 of the French Environmental Code, created by Law No. 2026-602 of 8 July 2026. Since 10 July 2026, any producer not established in France and subject to EPR must appoint a representative established in France, for every stream. For packaging, Article 45 of Regulation (EU) 2025/40 (PPWR) adds the same requirement at EU level. You remain the producer. Under the written mandate required by Article L. 541-10-9-1 of the French Environmental Code, we take charge of and answer for your registration, your identifier, your declarations, the exchanges with the eco-organisation and audits, and the archiving of your files. Your eco-contributions stay invoiced to you and paid by you directly to the eco-organisation.
-
Eco-organisation membership. We file your membership within two business days of receiving the signed mandate, the first invoice payment and the deposit.
-
IDU issuance. On each eco-organisation's timing: about seven business days after the membership is validated at Citeo, about five business days after the initial invoice is paid at Léko (that invoice is due within five business days, otherwise the membership is cancelled), after the first declaration has been filed and paid at Ecosystem.
-
Publication. Add the IDUs to your terms of sale, then to every French marketplace where you sell. For Amazon.fr, the eight steps from stream to Seller Central are in how to get a French IDU for Amazon France.
Frequently asked questions#
What is a French EPR IDU and how does a foreign company get one?#
The IDU (identifiant unique) is the registration number recorded in ADEME's producer register for each producer and each EPR stream, once an approved eco-organisation accepts the membership. A company with no French establishment obtains it through a France-established representative, compulsory since 10 July 2026. It must appear in your French terms of sale, and marketplaces check it against SYDEREP.
Does one IDU cover every EPR stream a company sells into?#
No. IDUs are assigned per stream, not per company. A foreign seller of electronic devices in retail packaging typically needs three: WEEE, batteries and household packaging, each with its own eco-organisation and declaration calendar. One representative and one mandate still cover all three.
How long does it take to get an IDU after signing with a French representative?#
It depends on the eco-organisation. Citeo issues the identifier about seven business days after the membership is validated, Léko about five business days after its initial invoice is paid (payable within five business days, otherwise the membership is cancelled), Refashion after membership, the signed contract and your first declaration and payment, then about ten business days, and Ecosystem after your first declaration has been filed and paid.
Does the IDU stay with a company if it switches French representative?#
Yes. The IDU is attached to the producer, not to the representative. Changing representative changes the contact on the eco-organisation file; the membership and the IDU continue, and marketplaces keep verifying the same number.
Why does a marketplace show my IDU as "not found" right after the eco-organisation approved it?#
There can be a gap between the eco-organisation's approval and the public SYDEREP record. Uploading during that gap can produce repeated failed checks, so wait until the IDU can be found on SYDEREP under your exact registered name.
Does the IDU need to be printed on the product or its packaging?#
No. The IDU is an administrative identifier for terms of sale, invoices and marketplace compliance portals. What goes on household packaging is the Triman logo and the Info-tri sorting instructions, a separate obligation.
Can two related companies in the same group share a single French IDU?#
No. Each legal entity that places products on the French market needs its own IDU per stream, even within a group. A parent company and a separate sales subsidiary both selling to France each need their own registration.
Next step#
If you do not yet have your French IDUs, our wizard scopes your streams in about three minutes and a written quote follows within one business day. The IDU timing then depends on the eco-organisation (about seven business days after the membership is validated at Citeo).
Sources & references#
All legal and regulatory claims in this article trace back to the following primary sources (Légifrance, EUR-Lex, ADEME and equivalents). Verified 31 July 2026.
- LOI n° 2026-602 du 8 juillet 2026, Légifrance, article 5, 2°, creating Article L. 541-10-9-1 du Code de l’environnement (JO of 9 July 2026, NOR TECX2407166L), in force 10 July 2026. Mandatory representative for producers not established in France.
- Article L. 541-10 du Code de l’environnement (cadre général REP), Légifrance
- Loi n° 2020-105 du 10 février 2020 (AGEC), Légifrance
- SYDEREP, registre public des producteurs (ADEME)
- Citeo, éco-organisme emballages ménagers
- Léko, éco-organisme emballages
- Adelphe, éco-organisme emballages (filiale Citeo)
- Ecosystem, éco-organisme DEEE
- Ecologic, éco-organisme DEEE
- Refashion, éco-organisme textile, linge, chaussures (TLC)
- Batribox (ex-Screlec), éco-organisme piles et accumulateurs
- ADEME, Agence de la transition écologique
- Amazon EU Seller Central, EPR France requirements
- Cadre général des filières REP, Ministère de la Transition écologique
Ready to start your French EPR registration?
Three-minute application form. Written quote within one business day. IDU in days, not weeks.