France's professional packaging scheme (EPRO) becomes operational on 1 January 2027, and ADEME asks producers to join an approved eco-organisme before 31 December 2026. The start was moved from 1 July 2026 because the work to identify which operators must contribute had not concluded. The three approved eco-organismes do not publish the same first-declaration calendar: Twiice states 28 February 2027 on estimated volumes, Citeo Pro says it is still waiting for clarification, and Léko Pro has published none. If you are choosing a scheme, that difference is a deadline difference.Sources (6)
ADEMEADEME — professional packaging (EPRO) scheme page
Ministry for Ecological TranMinistry for Ecological Transition — professional packaging policy page
TwiiceTwiice — AGEC and PPWR calendar (first declaration)
Citeo ProCiteo Pro — professional packaging FAQ
Léko ProLéko Pro — 1 January 2027, new launch date (29 July 2026)
LégifranceLégifrance — article L. 541-10-9-1 of the Environmental Code (full text)
Why the start moved, in the ministry's own words
The scheme was due to start on 1 July 2026. On 28 July 2026 the Ministry for Ecological Transition announced that it would instead become operational from 1 January 2027, and gave two reasons. Ministry for Ecological Tran
« Les travaux communautaires devant permettre d'identifier les opérateurs économiques appelés à contribuer à cette filière n'ont pas encore abouti »
« la publication tardive des barèmes des éco-organismes n'a pas permis à ces opérateurs de prendre en compte cette nouvelle charge »
Read that first line again, because it decides what you should do next. The scheme did not slip on logistics. It slipped because the question of who counts as a producer was not settled. That is the same question a foreign supplier has to answer before it can join anything, and it is answered below.
The same announcement sets the expectation for the year now running:
« chaque opérateur concerné devra avoir adhéré à un éco-organisme d'ici la fin de l'année »
Who is the producer
The Ministry publishes the test, and it splits by packaging type rather than by company type. Ministry for Ecological Tran
« Pour les emballages de vente et groupé, le fabricant, l'importateur ou le distributeur du produit emballé ; pour les emballages de transport, de service et de production primaire, le fabricant, l'importateur ou le distributeur de l'emballage. »
| Packaging type | The producer is | In practice |
|---|---|---|
| Sales and grouped packaging | Manufacturer, importer or distributor of the packed product | The brand whose goods are inside |
| Transport, service and primary-production packaging | Manufacturer, importer or distributor of the packaging | Whoever places the pallet, film or crate on the market |
The consequence is that one company can be the producer for some of its packaging and not for the rest. A supplier shipping its own boxed goods on bought-in pallets is the producer for the boxes, and is not automatically the producer for the pallets.
What the three eco-organismes actually say about the first declaration
Three eco-organismes were approved on 5 June 2026 for the 2027 scope: Twiice, Léko Pro and Citeo Pro. ADEME They have not published the same calendar. Checked at source on 20 September 2026:
| Eco-organisme | First declaration, as published | What is declared |
|---|---|---|
| Twiice | « Avant le 28 février 2027 » — « Vous déclarez entre le 1er janvier et le 28 février de chaque année ». Invoicing « à partir du 1er mars 2027 ». Twiice | Estimated volumes for the year — « sur la base de vos mises sur le marché estimées pour l'année » |
| Citeo Pro | Not confirmed. « Suite au report de la REP au 1er janvier 2027, nous attendons des précisions pour pouvoir vous apporter les informations liées à la déclaration. » Citeo Pro | Not stated |
| Léko Pro | None published. Léko Pro confirmed the 1 January 2027 start on 29 July 2026; no first-declaration calendar was published as of 20 September 2026. Léko Pro | Not stated |
This is a live difference, not a technicality. A producer who joins Twiice has a dated obligation in February 2027. A producer who joins Citeo Pro does not yet know the date. We re-check these three pages and will change this table when they change.
On the identifier, Citeo Pro is explicit on both points: « avec le report de la REP, cet IDU ne sera pas mis à disposition avant le 1er janvier 2027 », and « dès votre adhésion, nous faisons le nécessaire pour obtenir votre identifiant unique auprès de l'ADEME ». Citeo Pro The membership is the thing you can do in 2026; the identifier follows when the scheme opens.
What is in scope, and the exclusion most people miss
Until 2027 the scheme in force covers food-service packaging only, and for that narrower scope one eco-organisme is approved, not three: « 1 éco-organisme est agréé : Citeo Pro ». ADEME The three-way approval is for the scope that opens on 1 January 2027.
ADEME also states an exclusion that removes a large amount of packaging from the scheme:
« Les emballages appartenant déjà à une autre filière REP ne seront pas pris en compte dans la filière des emballages professionnels. »
So packaging already contributing under another EPR stream is not counted again here. Check what you already declare before you estimate anything.
For scale, the Ministry's own figures: about 12.5 million tonnes of packaging are placed on the French market each year, of which 7 million tonnes by professionals, including a little over one million tonnes of plastic of which only a quarter is recycled. Ministry for Ecological Tran We have seen no official count of the number of companies concerned, so we do not publish one.
If you are not established in France
Two separate duties apply and they have different dates. The mandataire duty under article L. 541-10-9-1 has been in force since 10 July 2026 and is not waiting for EPRO. Légifrance The EPRO membership is the one ADEME asks you to complete before 31 December 2026. ADEME
Nothing is retroactive: eco-contributions apply to packaging placed on the market from 1 January 2027. What 2026 buys is the membership, the identifier queue position and a packaging dataset that exists — not an early tax.
Frequently asked questions
When does professional packaging EPR start in France?
The scheme becomes operational on 1 January 2027, moved from 1 July 2026 by the Ministry's announcement of 28 July 2026. ADEME asks producers to join an approved eco-organisme before 31 December 2026.
Do I have to declare by 28 February 2027?
It depends on which eco-organisme you join, which is unusual and worth checking. Twiice publishes a first declaration before 28 February 2027, on estimated volumes for the year, with invoicing from 1 March 2027. Citeo Pro states it is still awaiting clarification on declaration arrangements. Léko Pro has published no first-declaration calendar. Verified at source on 20 September 2026.
Who is the producer for pallets and stretch film?
For transport, service and primary-production packaging the producer is the manufacturer, importer or distributor of the packaging itself — not of the product inside. For sales and grouped packaging it is the manufacturer, importer or distributor of the packed product. One company can therefore be the producer for some of its packaging and not for the rest.
Is packaging already in another EPR scheme counted again?
No. ADEME states that packaging already belonging to another EPR scheme is not taken into account in the professional packaging scheme.
Can I wait until 2027?
Eco-contributions apply to packaging placed on the market from 1 January 2027 and nothing is retroactive, so there is no 2026 charge to avoid. What the 2026 window is for is membership, which ADEME asks to be in place before 31 December 2026, and the identifier, which Citeo Pro says will not be issued before 1 January 2027.
Sources
- ADEME — professional packaging (EPRO) scheme page
- Ministry for Ecological Transition — professional packaging policy page
- Ministry for Ecological Transition — 28 July 2026 announcement of the 1 January 2027 start
- Twiice — AGEC and PPWR calendar (first declaration)
- Citeo Pro — professional packaging FAQ
- Léko Pro — 1 January 2027, new launch date (29 July 2026)
- Légifrance — article L. 541-10-9-1 of the Environmental Code (full text)
Founder of EPR France Rep, the France-based EPR authorised representative for companies selling into France.
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