WEEE EPR compliance has become essential for any producer or seller of electrical and electronic products in France. This practical guide helps you quickly check your obligations and secure your business with a clear, actionable checklist.

You will find the key rules, the main steps and tips to avoid fines, product withdrawals or delisting from marketplaces.

WEEE/EEE EPR: Are your electronic products compliant? The checklist.

Reading time: ~12 min

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Understanding WEEE EPR for your electronic products

WEEE EPR (extended producer responsibility for waste electrical and electronic equipment) stems from the European WEEE Directive. It makes you responsible not only for placing your products on the market, but also for their end of life.

Any company that manufactures EEE under its own brand, imports EEE manufactured abroad into France, or sells EEE remotely to French customers from abroad is considered a producer. All electrical and electronic equipment is covered, household or professional, with no minimum threshold: a single sale in France is enough.

In case of non-compliance, penalties can reach several tens of thousands of euros, including product withdrawal or delisting from marketplaces that require proof of EPR registration.

WEEE EPR checklist to check the compliance of your EEE

This checklist covers the obligations applicable to most products placed on the market after 13 August 2005.

1 Identify whether your products fall within the scope of WEEE EPR

Draw up a complete list of the EEE sold in France and classify them by regulatory category.

• Large and small household appliances: refrigerators, vacuum cleaners, microwaves…

• IT and telecommunications equipment: computers, routers, smartphones…

• Consumer equipment: televisions, game consoles, audio…

• Lighting equipment: light fittings, LED lamps…

• Electrical or electronic tools: drills, sanders…

• Toys, leisure or sports equipment incorporating electronics

• Medical devices, monitoring and control instruments

Centralise this data in a single file; it will be used for all your declarations.

2 Apply the marking and provide end-of-life information

Each EEE concerned must carry the "crossed-out wheelie bin" symbol in a legible and indelible way, ideally on the product itself or, failing that, on the packaging or instructions. Add clear instructions: no disposal with household waste, take-back arrangements or collection points, and useful recycling information, particularly in the case of hazardous substances.

3 Register and join a producer responsibility organisation (PRO) or an individual system

Two options: join an approved PRO (the most common solution) or set up an individual system subject to approval. In both cases, keep an up-to-date contract, official identification numbers and reliable records of your declarations.

4 Fund the collection and recycling of WEEE

The "polluter pays" principle applies: you pay an eco-contribution calculated according to fee scales (quantity, weight, type). For household equipment, this eco-contribution must be shown separately from the price. Automated tracking of fee scales limits errors and manual work.

5 Check the additional regulations applicable to your products

In addition to WEEE EPR, make sure you comply with: the RoHS Directive (hazardous substances), CE marking (safety, electromagnetic compatibility, low voltage), the repairability index for certain product families and, from 2024, the USB-C charger requirement for several portable devices.

6 Document and declare your commitments

Keep your declarations of conformity, membership contracts, proof of payment of eco-contributions and annual reports. An internal dashboard summarising scope, marking, registration, funding, additional regulations and reporting simplifies checks and marketplace requests.

Steps to bring your products into WEEE EPR compliance

Step 1: self-assessment of your catalogue

List all your products, assign their WEEE category and identify any gaps in marking or end-of-life information. For more detail, see our in-depth article on the steps to achieve your EPR compliance.

Step 2: contact one or more suitable PROs

Depending on the type of products (household or professional) and volumes, contact the relevant PRO to find out about membership terms, declaration and how eco-contributions are calculated.

Step 3: secure the technical compliance of your products

If necessary, have tests carried out by accredited laboratories (electrical safety, EMC, RoHS) and keep all reports on file.

Step 4: set up ongoing monitoring

Regulations change regularly. Set up a monitoring process or delegate it to a partner to stay up to date on restricted substances, new fee scales or upcoming obligations.

How CompliancR simplifies your WEEE EPR compliance

In addition to WEEE obligations, there are also obligations on packaging, batteries, furniture, textiles and more. As an authorised representative, CompliancR manages all these EPR schemes for you. Our platform automatically analyses your catalogue (or your barcodes) to identify products covered by each scheme, apply up-to-date fee scales, prepare declarations by the right deadlines and provide the identification numbers required by authorities and marketplaces. For more information, see the dedicated page: EPR authorised representative for e-commerce.

Mini FAQ: WEEE EPR for online sellers

I sell on a marketplace, am I affected? Yes. This article dedicated to marketplace sellers details your main obligations: any sale of EEE to French customers, even without a French entity, makes you a producer under WEEE rules, so registration and declarations are mandatory.

Is there a volume threshold for exemption? No. There is no volume-based exemption; at best, some PROs offer simplified schemes for very small volumes.

Can I manage WEEE compliance myself? Yes, but you will need to track regulatory changes, apply fee scales and complete each declaration yourself. This option remains feasible for a small catalogue.

What are the risks in case of non-compliance? Administrative fines, compliance orders, product withdrawal and delisting from marketplaces.

In summary

WEEE EPR compliance rests on six pillars: identifying the products concerned, applying the correct marking, joining a PRO, funding recycling, complying with additional technical regulations and documenting all your actions. Following this checklist protects your business and contributes to responsible management of electronic waste. To delegate all these tasks, including other EPR schemes, discover our solutions: automated EPR management.