France’s AGEC law & 'Cout Environmental' mandates eco-labelling for all brands

In this article, we are going to look in depth at both the AGEC law and the new Environmental 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 new Environmental Labelling System.  For the retail 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 should be printed on recyclable products and packaging sold to consumers in France. It indicates that the item should be sorted and recycled, such as paper or recyclable plastics. Conversely, if there is no logo, consumers are able to dispose of the item in general waste. However, there are specific exceptions. Find out more about when and how to use the Triman logo here. 

It also strengthens Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) obligations, meaning companies must contribute to collection and recycling schemes, pay eco-fees, and publish eco-design plans. In short, the AGEC law makes transparency and accountability around a product’s environmental impact a legal obligation in France.

What is France’s New Environmental Labelling system?

France’s eco-labelling system is a government initiative, backed by the 2021 Climate and Resilience Act, designed to give consumers clear insight into the environmental impact of products. We have known about it for some time as a voluntary scheme, but on 9th September 2025, Decree No. 2025-957 was officially published into law in France, and will take effect on 1st October 2025. 

Also known as the French Eco-Score, the Eco-Labelling or Environmental Labelling initiative has been officially renamed as "Environmental Cost" or “Cout Environmental”. 

Built on life-cycle analysis and delivered through the Écobalyse tool, it calculates factors such as greenhouse gas emissions, water use, resource depletion, microplastic pollution, and durability. 

Unlike the AGEC law, for the first year this scheme is voluntary, with brands that make any environmental claims free to display an impact score using the official graphic charter online or in stores. This first year is deemed an experimental phase, giving brands time to implement the product life-cycle analysis and encourage fashion and textile companies to adopt it early as a way to demonstrate transparency and sustainability leadership.

what is the difference between AGEC Law and “Cout Environmental” 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.

French regulators move first

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.

In 2023, the EC launched infringement proceedings against France. The concern is that the French rules go beyond harmonised EU requirements, forcing brands to produce country-specific packaging/labels rather than a single EU-wide standard. They argue that national labelling requirements may restrict the free movement of goods in the EU.

The case could ultimately be referred to the Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU), but until then, the French rules remain enforceable.

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

The EU is already developing its own frameworks, notably the Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) and the Green Claims Directive (expected to apply from 2026). France’s system uses PEF as a basis but adds extra indicators (e.g. microplastics, durability) and its own graphic charter. This means France is moving ahead of EU harmonisation, creating the risk of fragmentation if each Member State develops different scoring systems.

For now, because the scheme is voluntary, there’s less legal conflict but when France makes it mandatory (likely 2026–27), it may again clash with EU law unless Brussels has finalised an EU-wide standard.

Key Timeline for Fashion & Textile Labelling in France

• January 2025 – Large brands (€10m+ turnover, 10,000+ units/year) must publish full AGEC product sheets online, covering recycled content, recyclability, traceability, hazardous substances, and microplastics.
• Throughout 2025 – Triman + Info-tri sorting instructions remain mandatory on products and packaging (including e-commerce).
• 1st October 2025 – Launch of the voluntary environmental labelling system (Écobalyse), allowing brands to display official environmental impact scores.
• 2026 – Expected strengthening of enforcement: audits, reporting requirements, and penalties for non-compliance under AGEC.
• 2026–2027 – Environmental labelling forecast to shift from voluntary to mandatory, expanding transparency obligations across the fashion sector.
  
  

What information does AGEC Law require from brands?

Businesses will need to provide consumers with detailed information, this should include a products:

• 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

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 bringing in similar laws for Digital Product Passports (DPPs) on garments in 2025/6, questions about how different compliance requirements will work together are yet to be resolved. 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.

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.