EPR in France, explained end to end.

Who owes EPR in France

The obligation follows the first company placing a product on the French market, whatever its size and wherever it sits. There is no exemption threshold in French EPR: a single sale to a French customer triggers it. The test is establishment, not nationality, so a German or Spanish company with no French entity is in the same position as a seller from outside the EU.

The legal basis is 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: the representative takes charge of and answers for your registration, your identifier, your declarations, the exchanges with the eco-organisation and audits, and the archiving of your files.

The 19 streams, and how many apply to you

France has 19 EPR streams, run by 28 accredited eco-organisms. Liability is per stream, not per company: a brand shipping a boxed electronic device with a battery falls under three at once, packaging, WEEE and batteries, and registers separately in each. Most foreign sellers land in two or three.

• Household packaging (Citeo, Léko, Adelphe)
• Electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) (Ecosystem, Ecologic, Soren)
• Textile, household linen and footwear (TLC) (Refashion)
• Furniture (DEA) (Ecomaison, Valdelia, Valobat)
• Portable batteries and accumulators (Ecosystem, Batribox)
• Toys (Ecomaison)
• Sports, DIY and garden articles (Ecologic, Ecomaison, Valobat)
• Graphic paper (Citeo, Léko)

The full list of 19 streams, one page each.

How registration actually works

For each stream you are liable for: join the eco-organism, which validates the file, then your unique identifier (IDU) is issued. The timing 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; Ecosystem after your first declaration has been filed and paid. Professional packaging (EPRO): registration is open now, eco-contributions from 1 January 2027. Marketplaces check that identifier, which is why a missing or mismatched IDU takes listings down rather than triggering a warning. Most streams are then declared once a year; Ecomaison declares quarterly by default, Valdelia quarterly, Ecominéro monthly, and Ecosystem electrical equipment quarterly unless contributions are paid by SEPA direct debit.

What it costs

Two separate things. The eco-contribution goes to the eco-organism, on its published schedule, and depends on what you place on the market. The representative's fee is ours: a public entry price of 190 euros per year excluding VAT per stream, with the exact figure fixed in a written quote within one business day. We take no percentage and no margin on the eco-contributions, nor on the eco-organism membership fees. Your eco-contributions stay invoiced to you and paid by you directly to the eco-organisation.

What happens when it is missing

The administrative regime sits in Article L. 541-9-5 of the Code de l'environnement: up to 1,500 euros for an individual or 7,500 euros for a company per unit or per tonne placed on the market, and a 30,000 euro ceiling for a registry or IDU failure, after a formal notice. In practice the commercial sanction arrives first, since marketplaces delist on their own verification, weeks before any administrative letter.