The key ambitions of the electrical and electronic equipment EPR scheme are to:  

• Develop the ecodesign of products and improve recycling;
• Develop equipment repair, through the repair bonus in particular;
• Develop the reuse of electronic equipment, in collaboration with social and solidarity economy (SSE) operators in particular;

• Improve collection rates in order to achieve the regulatory targets. 

   

The products concerned 

European Union Directive 2012/19/EU defines electrical and electronic equipment as “equipment which is dependent on electric currents or electromagnetic fields in order to work properly and equipment for the generation, transfer and measurement of such currents and fields and designed for use with a voltage rating not exceeding 1,000 volts for alternating current and 1,500 volts for direct current”. 

The products concerned include, for example, freezers, television sets, telephones, photovoltaic panels, automatic cash dispensers, light bulbs, hair dryers, electric bicycles, electric toys, etc.

For further information, see articles R.543-171 to R.543-206 of the Environmental Code.       
 

Distinction between professional and household equipment 

Any equipment item likely to be used by private individuals is considered ‘household’, while other equipment items are considered ‘professional’. 

Are your products packaged ?

If so, you also come under the household packaging and graphic papers (EMPAP) scheme. 

Do your products contain batteries ?

You may come under the batteries and accumulators (PA) scheme. 

A distinction is made between 8 categories of electrical and electronic equipment: 

1. Temperature exchange equipment
2. Screens, monitors, and equipment containing screens having a surface greater than 100 cm²
3. Lamps
4. Large equipment
5. Small equipment
6. Small IT and telecommunication equipment
7. Photovoltaic panels
8. Cycles and motorised personal transport devices
    

Article R543-174 of the Environmental Code defines a producer as “any natural or legal person that, irrespective of the selling technique used, including distance communication such as mail order, internet or telephone: 

a) Is established in France and manufactures electrical and electronic equipment under his own name or trademark, or has electrical and electronic equipment designed or manufactured and markets this equipment under his own name or trademark within the territory of France; 

b) Is established in France and resells, under his own name or trademark equipment produced by other suppliers, a reseller not being regarded as the ‘producer’ if the brand of the producer appears on the equipment, as provided for in point a); 

c) Est établie en France et met sur le marché, à titre professionnel, des équipements électriques et électroniques provenant d'un pays tiers ou d'un autre Etat membre ;

d) Is established in another Member State or in a third country and sells in France electrical and electronic equipment by means of distance communication directly to private households or to users other than private households.”   

When a producer joins a producer responsibility organisation (PRO), it pays the organisation an EPR fee in return for the latter taking responsibility for its obligations relating to the products it places on the market.

This amount may be modulated upwards or downwards depending on the environmental characteristics of the products. A bonus rewards virtuous practices, while a penalty is applied to a product with characteristics that have a significant impact on the environment or human health.

Bonuses

Applicable to the Electrical and electronic equipment EPR scheme in 2025 

Bonuses specific to photovoltaic panels

Penalties 

Applicable within the electrical and electronic equipment EPR scheme in 2025  

A single product may accumulate multiple bonuses or penalties within this EPR scheme.  

Producers, to enquire about the conditions you have to meet and the procedures you have to complete to benefit from a bonus, or check whether you are subject to a penalty, please contact your producer responsibility organisation.

Find out more about EPR fee modulation

European Union Directive 2012/19/EU of 4 July 2012 sets the following targets up to 2023  : 

The specification in force within the scheme set the following targets from 2024 : 

* For categories 1,2,3,4,5,6 and 8, the collection rate is the percentage of the average of the quantities placed on the market in the previous 3 years. For category 7 (photovoltaic panels), the collection target is applicable to the estimated quantity of waste generated from EEE (WEEE) for the year in question. 

French regulations  

• Specifications : Order of 27 October 2021
• Data reporting : Order of 12 December 2022
• Accreditations:
  • Latest accreditation of the AKSOR individual compliance scheme: Order of 23 December, 2024
  • Latest accreditation of the Ecologic producer responsibility organisation (household equipment): Order of 4 March 2022
  • Latest accreditation of the Ecologic producer responsibility organisation (professional equipment):  Order of 4 March 2022
  • Latest accreditation of the Ecosystem producer responsibility organisation (household equipment) : Order of 4 March 2022  
  • Latest accreditation of the Ecosystem producer responsibility organisation (professional equipment) : Order of 4 March 2022
  • Latest accreditation of the Ecosystem producer responsibility organisation (lamps): Order of 4 March 2022
  • Latest accreditation of the SOREN producer responsibility organisation (photovoltaic panels): Order of 4 March 2022
  • Latest accreditation of the OCAD3E coordination body: Order of 15 June 2022
  • Latest accreditation of the ABBOTT individual compliance scheme: Order of 21 December 2023
  • Latest accreditation of the DIEBOLD NIXDORF individual compliance scheme: Order of 16 July 2025
  • Latest accreditation of the Château d'eau individual compliance scheme: Order of 29 November   2022
  • Latest accreditation of the NCR individual compliance scheme: Order of  29 November 2022
• Anti-Waste Act for a Circular Economy (‘AGEC Law’): LawI n° 2020-105 du 10 February 2020
• Notice regarding the scope of application of the sector: Notice  of 27 November 2014
• Definition of the scope of the scheme : Articles R.543-171 to R.543-206 of the Environmental Code
• Legislation establishing the scheme: Article L541-10-1 of the Environmental Code
   

European Union regulations  

• EU regulation governing the scheme (recast) : Directive 2012/19/EU of 4 July 2012
• Management of waste electrical and electronic equipment : Directive 2008/98/EC of 19 November 2008 

In organisational terms, initial marketers of electrical and electronic equipment have a choice of two options to ensure that they comply with the regulations. They can:  

• either set up and obtain accreditation for an individual compliance scheme covering collection and treatment,  
• or join a producer responsibility organisation holding accreditation to collect and treat electrical and electronic equipment in the corresponding categories. 

Prévention

The EEE scheme is concerned by the requirement to create repair funds stipulated in article L. 541-10 of the Environmental Code, d the implementation conditions of which are established by Decree no. 2020-1455 of 27 November 2020. The purpose of these funds is to help finance the repair of a product that breaks down outside the warranty period and thus reduce the repair cost paid by the consumer. The repair funds concern all categories of EEE except for categories 3 (lamps) and 7 (photovoltaic panels). The Ecologic and Ecosystem PROs have set up a pooled repair fund and QualiRépar certification for repair professionals.  

In addition, from 2023, France has set a minimum target of 2% of used electrical and electronic equipment being reused or prepared for reuse. Each producer responsibility organisation is setting up a fund dedicated to reuse, of an amount corresponding each year to at least 5% of the total amount of financial contributions received. This fund is intended for SSE (social and solidarity economy) actors.  

The EEE scheme’s “repair” and “reuse” funds were put in place during 2022. 

Collection 

Used EEE (UEEE) and the waste generated by EEE (WEEE) can be collected via several channels. For household UEEE and WEEE, the producer responsibility organisations help cover the costs of collection from local authorities and their groupings. The other available channels include collection points, take-back by distributors, donation to actors in the reuse sector, and collection of waste from holders other than households. 

The website Que faire de mes déchets/objets (“What to do with my waste and objects”) is designed to help individuals adopt best practices in terms of repair, reuse and recycling.  
It is based on a simple, intuitive search engine: by entering an object or waste item, users can find out how to dispose of it responsibly.  
An interactive map also shows them where they can find their nearest collection, repair and reuse points.