A goal of transparency in the circular economy

Submitted in early April 2025, the bill aims to introduce a mandatory mention of the eco-contribution on B2B invoices. This mechanism, described as a "visible fee", would allow the various economic players to clearly see the amount of contributions paid to the Producer Representative Organisations for end-of-life product management.

Until now, this contribution has generally been integrated into the final price, without any apparent distinction on professional invoices. Making this cost visible is in line with the principles of the AGEC law, which aims to strengthen the traceability and responsibility of producers.

It is interesting to note that the AGEC law had already introduced an obligation to visibly display the eco-contribution up to the final consumer for the furniture Scheme, with a deadline set for December 31, 2025. The challenge today, beyond just B2B invoices, is to extend this display indefinitely, in order to guarantee total transparency on the costs linked to producer responsibility throughout the value chain.

Three objectives stated by the text

According to the authors of the bill, this measure addresses three main issues:

• Combating fraud, in particular by facilitating controls and ensuring that each stakeholder complies with its reporting obligations.
  
  
• Preserving the competitiveness of virtuous producers, by allowing a clear distinction between those who meet their EPR obligations and those who do not.
  
  
• Promoting economic clarity, by allowing professional clients to better understand how prices are formed and the costs associated with waste management.
  
  

What this implies for the companies concerned

If the bill is adopted, companies subject to EPR will have to adapt their invoicing systems to include a separate line mentioning the amount of eco-contributions, Scheme by Scheme.

This will require:

• A precise knowledge of the eco-contribution amounts applicable per product or category;
  
  
• An update of ERP systems or invoicing systems to automatically generate this line;
  
  
• Complete traceability of the contributions declared, to avoid discrepancies between the amounts invoiced and those actually paid.
  
  

This change could also have indirect repercussions: by making this charge visible, companies will have to be able to justify their amounts and demonstrate their compliance in the event of an audit.

A development already anticipated by some players

For several months, some companies have been taking steps to regain control of their EPR declaration processes, in particular via automation solutions or specialized steering tools. The objective is twofold: to make the data declared to the Producer Representative Organisations more reliable, and to have a clear view of the costs associated with each Scheme.

For these companies, making eco-contributions visible would not be a major upheaval, but rather a recognition of their compliance efforts.

It is precisely in this context that CompliancR provides a concrete answer. Thanks to an AI algorithm and EPR expert teams, our solution automates the identification and calculation of eco-contributions, Scheme by Scheme. It generates declarations that comply with legal requirements, as well as the amount of eco-contributions per product based on their identifiers, ensuring total transparency for B2B customers. By centralizing data and guaranteeing its reliability, CompliancR simplifies the implementation of the "visible fee". An effective way to transform a regulatory constraint into a lever for compliance and trust.

One more step towards a more readable EPR

The bill on the "visible fee" is part of a broader movement to strengthen transparency and fairness in the EPR system. If adopted, it could durably transform business practices between producers, distributors and other economic players.

The reform also raises technical and operational questions, which companies will have to anticipate in order to remain compliant while controlling their costs.

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