EPR Registration Required for E-Commerce in France and Germany

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is part of a series of new European Union (EU) regulations aimed at improving waste recycling and recovery across the EU. These directives were implemented in France and Germany at the beginning of 2022, and if you do business in these two countries, you’re required to complete EPR registration. 

In the following guide, we’ll answer questions such as: 

• What is EPR registration?
• How will it change the way I operate?
• How easy is EPR France registration?
• What is EPR registration Germany?

What is EPR Registration?

EPR is a tax that must be paid by manufacturers of certain products sold in applicable territories. This money is used to contribute to the recycling, disposal, and recovery of packaging waste, thus creating a more environmentally-friendly product cycle, and building towards a sustainable future. 

EPR rules vary from country to country, which means that EPR France registration may differ from EPR registration Germany.

How Do I Know If I Need to Register for EPR?

 As things currently stand, EPR rules are a little stricter in France than they are in Germany. 

EPR France registration is required for any company that deals with the primary and secondary packaging of a product. The “packaging” here includes both the bag/box containing the product and the packaging in which it is shipped. 

It also includes: 

• Batteries
• Electrical equipment
• Tyres
• Paper
• Textiles
• Furniture 

EPR registration in Germany is required for all products and shipping packaging. As of January 2023, electrical equipment will also be included. Batteries are not yet included on their own, but registration may be required for merchants who sell electrical components with built-in batteries.

What Happens If I Don’t Register for EPR?

If you sell products in France/Germany and your company meets one of the above criteria, you must complete EPR registration. Failure to do so could lead to regulatory penalties. It also goes against the terms and conditions of most vendor platforms.

For instance, Wish’s Merchant Policy clearly states that failure to register will prohibit merchants from selling in these countries.

Amazon has also stated that it will remove all product listings from companies deemed to be in breach of EPR rules. If you wish to sell on either of these platforms—or any other major marketplace—you need to register for EPR.

How Do I Register for EPR?

To become EPR compliant, you need to register with a Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO). These organisations vary based on the type of waste that you produce. For instance, Corepile and Screlec deal with battery waste in France, while the Landbell Group covers most types of waste in Germany.

Once you have registered and received your EPR number, you can enter it into the respective platform.

On Wish, you just need to visit the Merchant Dashboard and look for the EPR section. EPR France registration has been possible here since February 2022 and EPR registration in Germany has been available since July 2022.

If you’re selling on Amazon, simply log into the respective Amazon Seller Accounts (.de and .fr) and look for the EPR section. If you sell in these territories and have yet to complete your registration, you may be prompted to do so via a popup message on the homepage.

EPR Registration in France and Germany

The EPR directive has complicated things for manufacturers and merchants that sell to France and Germany, but it is relatively simple to register. What’s more, it’s a directive that should force manufacturers to think more about their product/shipping packaging, and it could greatly reduce the carbon footprint left by e-commerce brands.

If you haven’t already taken the necessary steps, make sure you register for EPR today.