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Answer · The IDU
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How do I get a French IDU?

By joining an eco-organisme for the stream concerned.

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Razvan TomaBy Razvan Toma · Founder
Last updated 4 October 2026Sources linked below
Quick answer

By joining an eco-organisme for the stream concerned. ADEME is explicit: in a collective scheme, the eco-organisme you have joined registers you in SYDEREP, the declaration tool for the EPR schemes, and sends you your IDU, and “you cannot register individually”. ADEME issues the IDU directly only to producers running an individual system approved by the ministry. Every product category you sell must be covered by a membership, which can mean joining more than one eco-organisme for the same stream.

The steps for a foreign producer

  1. Work out your streams. Household packaging (EMPAP) almost always; plus any product stream you are in, such as electrical equipment, batteries or textiles.
  2. Join an eco-organisme for each. It needs your company details: for an EU company, its intra-EU VAT number; for a company outside the EU, the registration number issued by its home tax authority.
  3. Receive the IDU from the eco-organisme, once the contract is complete. Timing depends on the eco-organisme, not on ADEME.
  4. Appoint a French mandataire if you have no establishment in France: since 10 July 2026 article L. 541-10-9-1 requires it, and the mandataire usually runs steps 2 and 3 for you.

Frequently asked questions

Can ADEME issue my IDU if my eco-organisme is slow?

No. ADEME states it cannot generate an IDU for a producer in a collective scheme: the eco-organisme does it once you have joined and met its contractual terms, on its own timetable. You can check ADEME's search engine to see whether an IDU has already been issued to you.

Can a facilitator or mandataire do the membership for us?

Yes. ADEME lists both: a facilitator can handle the membership formalities, and a mandataire takes over your EPR obligations. Either way you still give them the company data needed for your registration.

Sources

Razvan Toma
Written byRazvan Toma

Founder of EPR France Rep, the France-based EPR authorised representative for companies selling into France.

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The arrêté of 2 December 2025 decides whether packaging falls under the household stream (EMPAP) or the professional one (EPRO). The three-step test, the automatic lists and the e-commerce exception that catches most online sellers.

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Do I have to do anything about EPRO before 1 January 2027?

ADEME asks producers to join an eco-organisme before 31 December 2026, ahead of the professional packaging scheme starting on 1 January 2027. What that means for a company with no French establishment, and what has to happen in which order.

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Who is the producer for professional packaging in France?

Producer status under EPRO follows the first placing on the French market, not who owns the pallet or who pays the freight. How it lands for a foreign supplier, a French importer, a distributor and a marketplace.

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Does a French VAT number mean I am established in France?

No. French tax law has a standing category for companies liable for French VAT with no permanent establishment in France. A VAT registration does not remove the EPR representative duty under article L. 541-10-9-1.

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Does stock in a French warehouse or 3PL make me established in France?

Holding stock in France, using a French 3PL or selling through FBA does not give you a French establishment, and it does not remove the EPR representative duty. It does confirm you are the producer for what you sell from it.

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We sell DDP or DAP into France. Who is the producer?

Incoterms allocate cost and risk between buyer and seller. They do not move producer status under French EPR, which follows who first places the goods on the French market.

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I already have a French IDU. Do I need another one for professional packaging?

Yes. The IDU is issued per EPR stream, so household packaging and professional packaging each have their own. Your existing identifier stays valid and the same representative mandate can cover both.

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We are an EU company. Do we really need a French EPR representative?

Yes. Article L. 541-10-9-1 turns on establishment in France, not on nationality or EU membership. A German, Dutch, Italian or Spanish company selling directly to French end users is in the same position as a non-EU one.

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Which eco-organisme do I join for professional packaging?

Three eco-organismes are approved for French professional packaging — Citeo Pro, Léko Pro and Twiice — plus three approved individual systems, all pallet poolers. How to choose, and what an individual system does and does not cover.

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Amazon says it handles EPR. Am I covered?

A marketplace established in France carries a backstop duty for sellers who have not registered, and the French article treats the obligation as satisfied for those products. It is not a substitute for your own IDU, and it covers only that channel.

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Do I need one IDU or several?

One per EPR stream you are caught by. A single product can fall under several streams, so a smartphone seller can hold three IDUs.

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What details does a foreign company need to get a French IDU?

An EU company identifies itself with its intra-EU VAT number; a company outside the EU with the registration number from its home tax authority. Plus address and product categories.

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Where do I have to show my IDU?

In your general terms of sale, on your website, and to any buyer who asks. Articles R. 541-173 and L. 541-10-10 of the Environmental Code.

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How can I check whether a company has an IDU?

In ADEME's search engine of issued IDUs, or in ADEME's open dataset of producers and IDUs.

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Can my IDU be withdrawn?

Yes. In a collective scheme the eco-organisme can remove it, and it takes effect if you are not a member of another one.

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