French EPR: the law, the public actors, the number, the representative
Direct answer: French EPR in three lines. One: a producer finances the end of life of what it places on the French market, through state-approved eco-organisations, one or more per scheme. Two: the producer is whoever places the product on the market first, wherever it is established, and each scheme gives it a registration number (IDU, FRxxxxxx_xx). Three: since 10 July 2026 a producer with no establishment in France may appoint an authorised representative established in France by written mandate. It is you who determine whether your situation falls under the law.
E, P, R: the three words
Extended: the producer's responsibility does not stop at the sale; it extends to collection, recycling and treatment, financed in advance. Producer: the French texts attach the responsibility to the company that places the product on the French market first, whether it manufactures in France, imports, or sells at a distance from another country. Responsibility: it is carried through eco-organisations approved by the state for each scheme; the producer joins one, declares what it places on the market, and pays the contributions at the published scale.
Who is concerned: the form of the question
The texts do not list sellers by country; they describe an act, placing a product on the French market, and a status, producer. A reader cannot be told by a website that it is or is not a producer: the determination depends on its products, its flows and its contracts. FrenchEPR gives the criteria, the texts and the public pages of the eco-organisations; it is you who determine whether your situation falls under the law, and for which schemes.
The public actors
| Actor | Role | Public source |
|---|---|---|
| Ministry in charge of ecology | defines the schemes, approves the eco-organisations, publishes the approval orders | ecologie.gouv.fr, Journal officiel |
| ADEME | keeps the national register of producers (SYDEREP), issues the unique identifiers, publishes the open-data extract | filieres-rep.ademe.fr, data.ademe.fr |
| Eco-organisations | register producers, collect contributions, finance collection and recycling, publish their scales | each eco-organisation's site (see the comparison) |
| Marketplaces | read the producer's number and representative in their compliance screens; some offer to pay contributions on the seller's behalf for their own sales | each marketplace's seller help (see the guides) |
The number: IDU
After registration with an eco-organisation, ADEME records the producer in the national register and issues an identifiant unique: FR, six digits, an underscore, two digits. One per scheme. Marketplaces call it UIN or EPR registration number. The open-data extract of the register is public; the number check page explains how to read it.
The authorised representative, article by article
The law of 8 July 2026 created article L. 541-10-9-1 of the Code de l'environnement, applicable since 10 July 2026. Its substance, in our reading: a producer without establishment in France appoints by written mandate a representative that is established there, and that representative carries the EPR obligations covered by the mandate; where someone established in France already carries them for the producer, the requirement is considered satisfied. The French text on Légifrance prevails over this summary. What the mandate covers in practice: joining the eco-organisation, obtaining the identifier, filing the declarations, being the point of contact. What it does not cover: deciding the schemes, paying contributions in the producer's place, labelling products.
The schemes
- Packaging — the packaging of products placed on the French market: sales packaging, grouped packaging, shipping packaging
- Electrical and electronic equipment — equipment that depends on electric current or electromagnetic fields to work
- Textiles, linen and footwear — new clothing, household linen and footwear
- Furniture and bedding — furniture, mattresses, bed bases, garden furniture
- Toys, sports and leisure, DIY and garden — playthings, sporting and leisure articles, tools for DIY and the garden
- Batteries and accumulators — batteries sold alone or inside a device
- Graphic paper — printed paper: catalogues, leaflets, notices, magazines; books excluded
- Tyres — tyres sold alone or fitted on vehicles
- Vehicles — cars, vans, two- and three-wheel motor vehicles, quadricycles
- Other schemes — building products, chemicals, lubricants, medical sharps, boats, photovoltaic panels, tobacco products
Where to go next
Guides by marketplace · Pages by country of origin · Eco-organisations compared · Glossary · Where REP·Pro stands with each eco-organisation.
If you need a representative established in France
FrenchEPR is written by REP·Pro, an authorised representative (mandataire REP) based in Béziers. Its self-service plan registers a producer with the eco-organisation of each scheme chosen, obtains the identifier and files the declarations: one scheme €29 a month on a 12-month plan, no setup fee; up to three schemes €59; up to six €89; beyond 6 categories, monthly billing only. Eco-contributions invoiced by the eco-organisations are separate. Published prices · Appoint a representative.
FAQ
Who is the producer under French EPR?
The person who first places the product, or its packaging, on the French market: a manufacturer in France, an importer, or a distance seller based abroad. The texts look at the act of placing on the market, not at the seller's country.
What are the public actors?
The ministry in charge of ecology sets the schemes and approves the eco-organisations; ADEME keeps the national register (SYDEREP) and issues the identifiers; the eco-organisations register producers, collect contributions and finance collection and recycling.
What does the representative cover?
The EPR formalities for the schemes named in the mandate: joining the eco-organisation, obtaining the identifier, filing the declarations, being the contact in France. It does not decide which schemes apply and does not pay contributions in the producer's place.
Is there one number for all schemes?
No: one registration and one number per scheme. A seller of packaged electrical goods with batteries holds three.
Where are the texts?
The Code de l'environnement (articles L. 541-10 and following, including L. 541-10-9-1) on Légifrance, the approval orders of each eco-organisation in the Journal officiel, and the ADEME page of each scheme.