AGEC law & 'Coût Environnemental' Labelling in France: What Brands Need to Know

In this article, we are going to look in depth at both the AGEC law and Coût Environnemental the new Environmental Cost Labelling System and how they affect how brands must label their products in France. 

France is leading the charge on product transparency internationally, with the AGEC law and Environmental Labelling System.  For the fashion industry this means clear rules on recycling, product information, and – soon – environmental impact scores. 

The goal: to curb greenwashing and help consumers make more sustainable choices.

What is France’s AGEC law?

France’s Anti-Waste and Circular Economy Law (AGEC), adopted in 2020, is a wide-ranging framework designed to cut waste, boost recycling and accelerate the shift to a circular economy.

While transparency has long been advocated as the key to driving circularity in fashion production and consumption, the French Decree 2022-748 AGEC makes verified environmental labelling an absolute necessity. Strict labelling requirements instruct brands to display the Triman logo and sorting instructions on products, and provide detailed online product sheets covering recycled content, recyclability, traceability, hazardous substances, and microplastic information.

What is the Triman logo? 

The Triman logo is a mandatory sorting symbol for many products and packaging items sold to consumers in France under the AGEC law. It indicates that a product or its packaging must be sorted separately for recycling, reuse or appropriate collection, rather than automatically being placed in general waste. The logo is accompanied by sorting instructions — called Info-tri — which explain how and where consumers should dispose of different product components, such as recycling bins, collection points or designated stores. Requirements vary depending on the product category with some specific exemptions.

Find out more about when and how to use the Triman logo here. 

The AGEC law also strengthens Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) obligations, meaning companies which place certain products on the French market must contribute to waste collection and recycling schemes, pay eco-fees, and meet relevant eco-design requirements.

In short, the AGEC law aims to improve product transparency, reduce waste and encourage greater accountability for the environmental impact of products sold in France.

What is France’s New Environmental Labelling system?

France’s Environmental Labelling System is a government initiative, introduced under the 2021 Climate and Resilience Act, designed to give consumers clear insight into the environmental impact of products.

On 9th September 2025, France published Decree No. 2025-957, formally introducing its environmental labelling framework for clothing, which came into effect on 1st October 2025.

Previously referred to as the French Eco-Score, the scheme has been officially renamed as "Environmental Cost" or “Coût Environnemental”. 

Built on life-cycle analysis and delivered through the Écobalyse tool, the system calculates the environmental impact of clothing, taking into account factors such as greenhouse gas emissions, water use, resource depletion, microplastic pollution, and durability. 

Unlike the AGEC law's mandatory product information requirements for qualifying businesses, Environmental Cost labelling remains voluntary. However, additional rules came into effect on 1st October 2026.

Under these rules, businesses that voluntarily communicate other environmental impact scores for clothing must also display the official Environmental Cost score, subject to the applicable requirements. Third parties can now also calculate and communicate Environmental Cost scores without obtaining the producer's prior agreement, provided they comply with the regulations.

These changes aim to improve transparency and consistency in environmental information, while encouraging fashion and textile brands to collect reliable product data and demonstrate their environmental performance.

what is the difference between AGEC Law and “Coût Environnemental” eco-labelling in France?

Confused at all? Don’t worry lots of people are and don’t realise the difference between the two. Here is a quick summary so you can see what’s required at a glance.

France's AGEC Law and Environmental Cost (Coût Environnemental) labelling system both aim to improve environmental transparency, but they have different requirements. The key difference is that AGEC imposes mandatory environmental information requirements on qualifying businesses, while Environmental Cost labelling remains voluntary, although additional rules came into effect on 1st October 2026 that incentivise engagement.

French regulators move first, but the EU is Also Moving

The French government is committed to a strong legal strategy, enforcing transparency about the environmental impacts of clothing sold in France. It has done so ahead of planned wider EU laws that will make climate-impact labels mandatory across the entire industry.

However, some of France's national labelling requirements have faced legal challenges at EU level.

In March 2026, the European Commission referred France to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) over its Triman logo and sorting information requirements. The Commission argues that these national rules may create barriers to the free movement of goods by requiring businesses to produce France-specific packaging and labels rather than following harmonised EU requirements. The legal proceedings do not automatically invalidate France's existing requirements

France’s voluntary environmental labelling system also raises questions at EU level.

The EU is already developing wider sustainability frameworks, notably the Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) and Digital Product Passports. Meanwhile the proposed Green Claims Directive which was previously expected to progress in 2026, has faced delays and has no confirmed application date.

Separately, new EU rules under the Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition Directive (EU) 2024/825 came into force on 27th September 2026, introducing stronger protections against misleading environmental claims.

In summary, for brands and retailers selling into France, the challenge is to meet existing national requirements, while preparing for evolving EU legislation and potentially different environmental reporting standards.

What about the Environmental Cost System? Is this a voluntary requirement or not?

France's Coût Environnemental aka Environmental Cost system builds on life-cycle assessment principles but incorporates additional factors, such as microplastic pollution and durability, alongside its own calculation and communication requirements.

Principally, Environmental Cost labelling remains voluntary, but additional rules took effect on 1st October 2026 that give a strong incentive to fashion brands to calculate their own scores.

These rules require businesses communicating alternative environmental impact scores for clothing to also communicate the official Environmental Cost score, subject to the applicable conditions. So, for instance, it pulls in any brand that displays any kind of carbon footprint claim into calculating an Environmental Cost score too.

What’s even more interesting is that even if your brand is not obliged to and chooses not to produce an Environmental Cost score, any third party—such as NGOs, retail partners, comparison websites or competitors—is permitted to calculate and publish an Environmental Cost score about your products on behalf of your brand, and without your prior approval.

Therefore, although the Environmental Cost score may be optional for your brand, it could be considered a public relations risk to not produce one under your own steam, and have others, perhaps less favourable towards your business, do it for you.

If you're wondering how this can be possible, under AGEC law brands must disclose the country of origin for certain process steps and material composition is already mandated under existing EU textile labelling regulations. Where detailed product data is unavailable, default values in Ecobalyse apply, which could result in higher (less favourable) environmental impact scores.  So, although calculating Coût Environnemental may not be a legal requirement for your brand, this loophole creates a strong incentive to calculate your own scores, since scores calculated by third parties will probably result in a higher Environmental Cost score. Also when brands calculate their own  scores these will automatically replace third-party scores, with a maximum delay of one month.

Key Timeline for Fashion & Textile Labelling in France

• January 2025 – AGEC product information requirements. The final scheduled phase of AGEC's environmental information requirements came into effect for qualifying businesses exceeding €10 million in annual turnover from relevant products placed on the French market and placing at least 10,000 qualifying units on that market annually.
• 1st October 2025 – France launched its Environmental Cost (Coût Environnemental) voluntary labelling system, allowing brands to display official environmental impact scores using the Écobalyse methodology.
• March 2026 – EU legal challenge: The European Commission brought France before the Court of Justice of the European Union over its Triman logo and sorting information requirements, raising concerns about barriers to the free movement of goods.
• 1st October 2026 – New Environmental Cost rules take effect: Businesses voluntarily communicating alternative environmental impact scores for clothing must also communicate the official Environmental Cost score, subject to applicable conditions. Third parties can also calculate and communicate scores without the producer's prior agreement, provided they follow the regulations.
  
  

What information does AGEC Law require from brands?

Under France's AGEC law, qualifying businesses must provide consumers with detailed information about the environmental qualities and characteristics of their products.

Since 1st January 2025, these requirements have applied to businesses with more than €10 million in annual turnover from relevant products placed on the French market and at least 10,000 qualifying units placed on that market annually.

Depending on the product category, businesses will need to provide consumers with detailed information, including information on:

• reparability,
• recyclability,
• sustainability,
• re-use possibilities,
• recycled material content,
• use of renewable resources,
• traceability and the presence of plastic microfibres.

Information on traceability must be made available and the country where the following operations happen; weaving, dyeing, printing and assembly, for all materials, must also be included.

This product information must be made available to consumers at the point of sale – so online or in a shop – and available for 2 years after sales. In practical terms, this means full supply chain traceability needs to be achieved and a dedicated web page per product must be built, to inform consumers about the specifications and environmental characteristics of the product(s) they are purchasing.

The objective is to empower consumers to make conscious decisions about their purchases and to manage textile and packaging waste more effectively. It will contribute to the drive in eradicating greenwashing and push retailers to source genuinely sustainable fabrics, and to think about the longevity of the garments they design.

How to Ensure AGEC Compliance

The first thing brands must do is commit to a digital solution that will give them supply chain traceability and visibility across their entire supply chain, with the scope to adapt their data management to a fast-evolving legal framework.

Ensure you have a supply chain transparency solution in place to get visibility of your n-tier supply chain, and start to gather robust data and evidence now. It can take time to gain this visibility and data, so the sooner you start the less risk to your brand.

How Segura can Help with AGEC Compliance

The Segura SaaS platform can automate the discovery and mapping of your upstream suppliers and the components and services they provide you. It can automate the collection of product and component data, their environmental attributes and supporting evidence such as certificates, test reports and recycling notes. The platform can then ingest this data into the system and highlight gaps and risks in your compliance data, before enabling you to communicate it to consumers via an online product sheet / digital product passport in English and French.

How Segura can Help with Environmental cost

The Segura SaaS platform can automate the collection of upstream supply chain product data such as weight, material composition, manufacturing steps, and place of assembly, required for Ecobalyse to calculate an environmental score, 

Overall, Segura enables retailers and brands to uncover their n-tier supply chain at order level to ensure the data included on the label is validated, robust and traceable down to the source. Segura automates the collection and consolidation of environmental data for products, materials and packaging, providing evidence to back up your claims with full traceability of any product.

"The Segura platform gives us a deeper insight into our suppliers and the products and components they are providing us. This enables us to minimise risk and ensure products continue to comply with ever-tightening legal requirements.” 

Whistles, part of TFG London

The data captured through Segura can include; the location and country of creation and production of components, the presence of plastic microfibres, hazardous materials, recycled materials, as well as repairable, sustainable, reusable, composable and recyclable qualities.

This can then be communicated to consumers at the point-of-sale via Segura’s Digital Product Passport, accessed by the consumer in-store by scanning a QR code or RFID tag on the product, or online via a product link.

What about countries outside of France, selling into the country?

The decree states that these brands will need to translate all the product information they collate and make available to shoppers, into French. In other words, every product you’re selling will need a digital product page, in French, for the French market.

What challenges do brands face from the AGEC law?

With the EU developing Digital Product Passport (DPP) requirements for textiles, brands and retailers will need to prepare for additional product transparency obligations. Sector-specific EU rules for textiles are currently expected to be adopted in 2027, with implementation following a transition period.

Questions remain about how these future EU requirements will align with France's existing AGEC legislation and Environmental Cost labelling system.

Fashion businesses acknowledge that supply chain transparency will play a vital role in reducing the amount of textile waste and help tackle the industry’s heavy carbon footprint, but collaboration and clarity from legislators is needed to help brands and retailers achieve the goals that are being set.

Thanks to the latest digital innovations, brands can engage with suppliers and drive behaviour change right now. If brands capture their supply chain data, they can evidence that components are sourced ethically and sustainably, meanwhile considering circular design, and make real progress towards sustainability goals.

AGEC Law Penalties

If a company fails to publish the required product sheet or does not keep it up to date, the French authorities can issue an administrative fine of up to €15,000 per breach. Where multiple separate infringements are identified, businesses could face substantial cumulative penalties, depending on how the French authorities assess and enforce the breaches. Substantial penalties have already been issued.

Advice for suppliers affected by AGEC legislation

If you supply businesses that are required to comply with the French Decree 2022-748, you are very likely to receive more requests for information relating to this;

Be prepared: Read about the French Decree and note what it asks of your customer. Get an understanding of what information your customers will need from you, why and when. Get started by reading our AGEC factsheet.

Be compliant: Make sure that you and your suppliers are up to date and compliant with environmental legislation. Make sure the relevant information is ready to share with customers, to help them comply with the Decree.

If you’d like to know more, or have a free exploratory call, get in touch with us today; info@segura.co.uk.