French EPR fines are set per unit or per tonne of product, which makes them large even for small sellers. Under article L. 541-9-5 the minister in charge of the environment can impose an administrative fine of up to €1,500 for an individual and €7,500 for a company "par unité ou par tonne de produit concerné", plus a daily penalty of up to €20,000 until the company complies. 
Légifrance A separate fine of up to €30,000 applies to a producer that is not on ADEME's register, has not filled it in, gave false data, or does not show its IDU where required. LégifranceSources (5)LégifranceLégifrance — article L. 541-9-5 of the Environmental Code (sanctions)
ADEMEADEME — Sanctions dans la REP : risques pour les producteursLégifranceLégifrance — article L. 541-10-9-1 of the Environmental Code (full text)Octopia (Cdiscount MarketplaOctopia (Cdiscount Marketplace) — Comment déclarer vos IDU ? (23 octobre 2026)TikTok ShopTikTok Shop — Introduction to Extended Producer Responsibility (30 June 2026) ADEME
The procedure, step by step
- The minister informs the company of the facts and of the sanction it faces. Légifrance
- The company has one month to present written or oral observations, and may be assisted by counsel or represented by a mandataire of its choice. Légifrance
- The minister decides by a reasoned decision stating how to appeal, the amount, and the payment terms. Légifrance
How the amount is calculated when you never joined
When the failure is not joining an EPR scheme at all, the fine takes into account the estimated average annual quantity placed on the market, over the duration of the failure, and the highest unit contribution charged by the approved eco-organismes of the stream. Légifrance In practice: the longer you sell without joining, and the more expensive the stream's top rate, the higher the fine. Sources (2)
Ministère de la Transition éMinistère de la Transition écologique — filières REPADEMEADEME — the French EPR schemes
When ADEME says you are exposed
- Your products fall under one or more streams and you have not joined an approved eco-organisme or set up an individual system for all of them. ADEME
- Your eco-organisme has withdrawn your IDU for non-compliance. ADEME
Marketplaces add their own consequences: Cdiscount bills the higher simplified scale plus 7.3% Octopia (Cdiscount Marketpla, TikTok Shop warns of blocked listings or removal TikTok Shop, and Amazon may deactivate offers. See Cdiscount and TikTok Shop. Amazon Seller Central
If you are not established in France
Since 10 July 2026 a producer without an establishment in France must appoint a representative established in France. Légifrance Not having one is itself a failure under the same section of the code.
Price
Our fee. Standard is €190 a year per eligible stream, Plus is €990 a year for up to three streams in one mandate, with a median saving of €1,071 a year in eco-contributions across our published clothing, footwear, electronics and furniture examples. Setup is €0, and eco-contributions are paid at the eco-organisme's published rate with 0% markup. See pricing.
Frequently asked questions
Has anyone actually been fined?
The ministry does not publish a list of EPR fines per company. We do not quote cases we cannot source.
Is the fine per product or per stream?
Per unit or per tonne of product concerned, capped at the amounts in the article.
Can I fix it during the one-month period?
Yes: joining, getting your IDUs and declaring is the best answer to the notice, and the decision takes the facts into account.
Razvan Toma is the founder of EPR France Rep, a France-established authorised representative (mandataire) for producers with no French establishment. He has worked in waste management and recycling since 2009, running waste-separation programmes inside large B2B organisations in France for clients including Chanel, Microsoft, Decathlon, Pirelli, IKEA, Vinci, Capgemini and E.Leclerc.
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