France
What counts as a toy in France
Toys EPR in France is a France-only rule, and its scope is wider than most sellers expect. Any toy or game is covered, whatever the material, from plastic figures to wooden puzzles to electronic playsets.
The surprising part is how a toy enters the market. The duty applies whether the toy is sold or given away free, so promotional giveaways and bundled toys are caught too.
A free toy in a cereal box or a giveaway at an event still triggers the duty, which trips up brands that never think of themselves as toy sellers.
France created this filière under the AGEC law and it has been live since April 2022, run by a single éco-organisme, Ecomaison. Greece has toys in its framework law but no scheme operating, so France is the only place the duty bites.
The French definition of a producer
You are a producer for this stream if you can tick any of these:
- You are the first professional to place a toy on the French market
- You import toys or games for sale in France
- You give toys away free as promotions to French customers
The common thread is being first to put the toy on the market, maker or importer. A shop reselling toys already placed by someone else is not the producer.
The French reporting rhythm
Reporting is annual. You declare the quantities placed on the French market to Ecomaison, which consolidates every member and files to ADEME by 30 April.
Your own declaration date is set by Ecomaison rather than by statute, so treat its calendar as the one that binds you. There is no separate filing you make to the register yourself.
Registering toys in France
You never register yourself. Ecomaison enrols you in SYDEREP and issues your IDU, and the whole sequence runs before your first sale.
Cost sits outside the register. ADEME charges nothing for the IDU, and you pay a per-item éco-contribution to Ecomaison, nudged up or down under the AGEC primes and pénalités.
Enforcement and what changes in France
Little is dated for this stream. No EU toy EPR exists, so nothing is arriving from Brussels, and Ecomaison's approval runs to the end of 2027, when the scheme is reviewed. The France-only status is stable rather than changing.
Frequently asked questions about French toys EPR
Short answers to what sellers ask most. The wider picture sits across EPR in France.
What does toys EPR mean in France?
France put toys under producer responsibility from April 2022, run through a single éco-organisme, Ecomaison. You pay a per-item éco-contribution and register through Ecomaison rather than filing anything yourself. It applies whether the toy is sold or given away.
Do foreign or online sellers need an authorised representative in France?
A mandataire route exists for producers with no French entity, but the codified rule was partly annulled by the Conseil d'État in late 2023 and has not been consolidated. Treat a French authorised representative as generally required and confirm the current regime.
When are toys reports due in France?
Ecomaison files the consolidated declaration to ADEME by 30 April each year. Your own declaration follows the calendar Ecomaison sets, so there is no single statutory producer date to note beyond the one it gives you.
What changes next for toys EPR in France?
Not much. There is no EU toy EPR on the way, so the French scheme is not being reshaped from Brussels. Ecomaison's approval runs to the end of 2027, when the scheme is reviewed and re-approved.
Do marketplaces check toys registration in France?
Yes. Since 2022 a marketplace is liable for its third-party sellers unless the seller proves compliance, so platforms selling toys into France routinely ask for a valid IDU before letting you list.