In France “EPR registration” refers to compliance with its extended producer responsibility (EPR) regime. EPR is a legal framework that makes producers responsible for the environmental impact of their products throughout their life cycle, particularly at end-of-life and waste stages. Several product categories are covered, and you must register before you sell into the French market if your products fall under any of those categories.

Here’s a clear overview of how registration works in practice:

What EPR means in France?

France operates one of the most comprehensive EPR systems in Europe. It covers multiple product streams such as:

• Packaging (household and, from 2025, commercial and industrial)
• Electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE)
• Batteries and accumulators
• Textiles and footwear
• Furniture, toys, sports and leisure goods
• DIY and gardening products

Whether you are a manufacturer, importer, or seller, if you place any covered product on the French market, you are considered a “producer” under French EPR and must comply. There are no de-minimis thresholds for most categories even placing a single item can trigger obligations.

Core steps in the EPR registration process

Identify which EPR streams apply

Determine which product categories you sell that fall under French EPR rules. Each category (packaging, electronics, batteries, textiles, etc.) typically has its own scheme and Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO).

Join an approved PRO

For each applicable stream, you sign a membership or service agreement with an accredited producer responsibility organisation (PRO). These organisations manage the administrative and operational side of compliance on your behalf. For example:

• Packaging: organisations like Citeo, Adelphe or Léko
• Electrical and electronic equipment: ecosystem and others
• Batteries: COREPILE or Screlec

The PRO forwards your registration data to the French environment agency.

Obtain a Unique Identification Number (UID or UIN)

Once your PRO conveys the necessary details to the Agence de la transition écologique (ADEME), you will receive a Unique Identification Number (Identifiant Unique). This number is your official proof of EPR registration in each applicable category. It must be displayed on invoices, websites, marketplace listings and contractual documents as evidence of compliance.

How reporting works via a PRO and pay eco-fees?

You must declare the amounts and types of products or packaging you place on the French market, usually via the PRO’s portal. Based on those declarations regulators and PROs calculate the eco-contributions (fees), which you must pay annually.

Once you join a PRO:

• You sign a membership contract.
• The PRO registers you and obtains your Unique Identification Number.
• You submit periodic declarations (weight and category data) via the PRO’s portal.
• The PRO calculates your eco-contributions.
• The PRO transfers required data to ADEME.

You do not normally file declarations directly with ADEME yourself.

Examples by stream

Depending on your product type, reporting would be done via different PROs, for example:

• Packaging: Citeo, Léko
• WEEE: ecosystem
• Batteries: COREPILE

Each PRO has its own reporting portal and declaration calendar.

Maintain records

You are required to retain accurate records of your declarations, invoices and payments for a number of years in case of audit by ADEME.

Additional practical points

• If you are not established in France, you can often register directly or appoint a local authorised representative to handle filings and fee payments on your behalf.
• Online marketplaces (e.g., Amazon or Etsy) increasingly require sellers to submit their EPR Unique Identification Numbers before products can be listed.
• From mid-2026, EPR obligations for professional packaging broaden further under new EU-related packaging rules, so planning ahead is important.

Important limitations

Even when reporting through a PRO:

• You remain legally responsible for the accuracy of the data.
• You must maintain audit records.
• You must ensure declarations match actual volumes placed on the French market.

If you are a non-French company, you may also need to appoint an authorised representative such as FZCO Accountants Limited, but reporting is still handled through the PRO.