EPR Scheme : towards an overhaul of governance in France?

A recent report by the French Senate calls for an in-depth reform of EPR governance. Lack of transparency, unclear steering, conflicts of interest... The senators make a critical assessment and propose a new, more efficient and fairer architecture.

Thirty or so EPR systems under stress

With the rise of extended producer responsibilityEPR schemes - of which there are now more than 30 in France - the EPR system has become a pillar of environmental policy. However, this rise in importance has been accompanied by an increase in complexity that is a source of concern for players in the field: local authorities, eco-organizations and, of course, end-users.

The Senate report of June 13, 2025, presented by senators Rémy Pointereau and Nicole Bonnefoy, is clear: current governance is out of breath. It struggles to guarantee operational efficiency, financial transparency and fairness between players.

Three major criticisms of current operations

A blurred role for the French government: ADEME is too often in a position of executor, with no real strategic steering power over eco-organizations.

Eco-organizations as judge and jury: Their governance is sometimes too focused on the interests of marketers, with little room for local authorities or citizens.

Lack of clarity for marketers: rules change rapidly, scales lack predictability, and obligations multiply without sufficient support.

Towards renewed, more balanced governance

The report proposes several levers to restore coherence to the EPR system:

Strengthen ADEME's strategic role, to make it a true industry leader;

Create a regulatory body dedicated to EPR, independent of eco-organizations;

Greater involvement of local authorities and civil society in governance ;

Clarify the role and commitments expected of eco-organizations, particularly in terms of environmental performance and local investment.

The aim of these proposals is to build a more legible, fairer and more transparent EPR model, at the service of the circular transition.

What this means for marketers

For companies subject to the EPR, these forthcoming developments now require :

Active monitoring of forthcoming reforms, particularly adjustments to specifications;

Better control of product data and market volumes;

Ability to justify declarations and adapt quickly to new requirements in terms of pricing, logistics or declarations.

To put it plainly: in a system undergoing reorganization, the most structured players will be the ones to retain control.

CompliancR : managing your EPR declarations in a changing environment

At CompliancR, we're already anticipating these transformations. Our platform enables producers and distributors to :

Centralize product data for all EPR sectors (packaging, EEE, TLC, PMCB...);

Automatically manage their declarations, whatever the eco-organization concerned;

Follow regulatory developments in real time, with contextualized alerts;

Justify compliance at any time, in the event of an inspection or dispute.

As the EPR framework evolves towards greater rigor and transparency, CompliancR gives you the regulatory clarity and agility you need.

Get ready today for the next generation of EPR plants.

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