Glossary, fig. 01
French EPR glossary.
Every acronym and French term you will encounter, defined plainly. Built for non-French speakers who need to read ADEME notices, Citeo correspondence, and marketplace compliance pages without a dictionary.
A
- Adelphe
- Citeo subsidiary serving wine, spirits, and pharmaceutical packaging EPR in France. Same regulatory cover as Citeo, sector-specific contribution scale. See the Adelphe dossier.
- ADEMEAgence de la transition écologique
- French national environment agency. Operates SYDEREP (the EPR teleservice), issues the IDU producer identifier, and audits eco-organism compliance.
- AGECLoi anti-gaspillage pour une économie circulaire
- French law of 10 February 2020 that overhauled the EPR system, introduced new streams (toys, sports/DIY, construction), reinforced producer obligations, and codified marketplace liability under article L. 541-10-9.
- Annual declarationDéclaration annuelle
- Yearly report filed with each eco-organism, stating volumes (tonnage or unit count) placed on the French market during the previous calendar year. Triggers the eco-contribution invoice. Filing windows vary by stream, see our deadlines calendar.
C
- Citeo
- Dominant French eco-organism for household packaging and graphic paper. Approximately 95% market share. Default choice for most producers. See the Citeo dossier.
- Corepile
- Main French eco-organism for portable batteries and accumulators. See the Corepile dossier.
E
- Ecomaison
- Multi-stream French eco-organism for furniture, toys, sports articles, and DIY products. Single adherence covers up to three streams. See the Ecomaison dossier.
- Ecominéro
- French eco-organism for inert mineral construction waste (concrete, stone, ceramics). See the Ecominéro dossier.
- Ecologic
- French eco-organism for WEEE, alternative to Ecosystem. Often used for B2B equipment and specialised verticals. See the Ecologic dossier.
- Ecosystem
- Main French eco-organism for WEEE (electrical and electronic equipment). See the Ecosystem dossier.
- EPRExtended Producer Responsibility, REP in French
- Regulatory principle making producers financially and operationally responsible for the end-of-life management of the products they place on the market. France has about 25 EPR streams; see our foundational guide.
I
- IDUIdentifiant Unique Producteur
- Official French producer identifier under EPR, issued by ADEME via SYDEREP, one per stream. Marketplaces verify it. See our IDU explainer.
L
- Léko
- Second French eco-organism for household packaging, producer-owned alternative to Citeo. Smaller market share. See the Léko dossier.
M
- MandateMandat
- Civil law contract (articles 1984 and following of the French Civil Code) under which the producer authorises the representative to act in their name. Signed electronically with us; no notary required.
P
- PMCBProduits et matériaux de la construction du bâtiment
- Newest French EPR stream, in force since 1 January 2023, covering construction products. Eco-organisms: Valobat and Ecominéro.
- PPWRPackaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, EU 2025/40
- EU regulation in force from 12 August 2026, harmonising packaging EPR rules across all 27 Member States. Directly applicable (no national transposition lag). Makes EU authorized-representative designation a direct EU obligation for non-EU producers. See our PPWR guide.
- ProducerProducteur
- The entity that places the product on the French market for the first time. Country of incorporation, country of manufacture, and sales channel do not change the producer status: trigger is geographical (France).
R
- Refashion
- Sole French eco-organism for textile, footwear, and household linen. Per-unit contribution. See the Refashion dossier.
S
- Screlec
- Second French eco-organism for portable batteries, alternative to Corepile. See the Screlec dossier.
- Subrogation
- Legal transfer of obligations from one party to another. The French regulatory clause that purported to subrogate producer obligations to the authorized representative was annulled by the Conseil d’État in case 449213 of 10 November 2023. Consequence: the producer remains the obligated party. The representative is a service provider, not a legal substitute.
- SYDEREPSystème Déclaratif REP
- ADEME teleservice for EPR declarations and IDU issuance. Eco-organisms transmit producer files to ADEME through SYDEREP. The IDU number returned to producers comes from this system.
V
- Valdelia
- French eco-organism for professional furniture (office, hospitality, schools). See the Valdelia dossier.
- Valobat
- French eco-organism for non-inert construction products and materials (PMCB). See the Valobat dossier.
W
- WEEEWaste Electrical and Electronic Equipment, DEEE in French
- EPR stream for electrical and electronic equipment. Eco-organisms: Ecosystem (default), Ecologic. See the WEEE stream page.
É
- Éco-contribution
- Regulated fee paid by producers to eco-organisms, scaled to the volume and material profile of products placed on the French market. Funds the collection, sorting, and recycling infrastructure. Not a tax; not deductible from income tax; passes through our invoice at cost.
- Éco-modulation
- Bonus-malus mechanism applied by eco-organisms: a packaging with high recycled content, clear sorting instructions, or recyclable mono-material design pays less per tonne than a non-recyclable composite. Modulation rates change yearly.