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The French AGEC Law is one of the first regulations in Europe requiring brands to disclose product-level environmental information directly to consumers.
For brands selling in France, this is no longer a matter of sustainability communication. It is a legal requirement.
This guide explains what the AGEC Law is, how Article 13 applies in practice, what information must be disclosed, and how brands can prepare.
This article reflects the current status and is updated as new regulatory developments are released. Last updated: April 2026
What is the French AGEC Law
The AGEC Law (Anti-Waste for a Circular Economy) was adopted in 2020 to reduce waste, improve product transparency, and accelerate the transition to a circular economy.
It introduces requirements across multiple areas, including:
- waste reduction
- reuse and repair
- extended producer responsibility (EPR)
- consumer information
What changes for brands
AGEC applies to companies placing products on the French market, including clothing, footwear, and household textiles.
What changes is not the scope, but the level at which requirements apply.
AGEC shifts sustainability from brand-level communication to product-level accountability.
Information is no longer defined at company level or through general claims. It must be structured, verified, and linked to each product.
This means that sustainability is no longer expressed through narrative.
It is defined through data that can be accessed, compared, and assessed at product level.
Article 13: the core requirement
Article 13 of the AGEC Law introduces a key obligation:
Brands must provide consumers with information on the environmental qualities and characteristics of products.
This requirement is defined under:
- Article L.541-9-1 of the French Environmental Code
- Decree No. 2022-748 (implementation)
This is the foundation of AGEC for fashion.
Who needs to comply
The requirements are being introduced progressively, based on company size and product volumes.
From January 1st 2025, the obligation applies to companies that:
- place more than 10,000 units annually on the French market
- generate over €10 million in turnover
This scope will expand over time to include smaller actors.
What information must be disclosed
Under AGEC, brands must provide specific product-level information.
For fashion products, this typically includes:
Recycled content
The percentage of recycled material used in the product.
Traceability
Information must be provided on the main stages of production.
These stages vary depending on the product category.
For clothing, this typically includes:
- fabric production (weaving or knitting)
- finishing processes (such as dyeing or printing)
- garment assembly (sewing)
For footwear, this includes:
- stitching
- assembly
- finishing
This requires linking product-level information to the actual manufacturing steps across the supply chain.
Microplastic release
For synthetic textiles containing more than 50% synthetic fibres, whether the product releases microplastics during washing.
Hazardous substances
Products must disclose the presence of hazardous substances, where applicable.
Under AGEC, these are defined in line with:
- substances of very high concern (SVHC) under REACH
- additional substances with an equivalent level of concern
- national lists established through regulatory orders
This includes substances identified under Decree No. 2021-1285 and subsequent updates.
Environmental claims
Restrictions on vague or misleading claims (e.g. “eco-friendly”).
Recyclability
Whether the product can be recycled — with important nuances depending on the category.
How information must be provided
Under AGEC, environmental information must be made available in a way that is directly usable by consumers.
This means that information must be:
- directly linked to the product
- available at the point of purchase
- clear, accurate, and not misleading
The requirement is not to publish reports or general disclosures.
It is to provide specific, product-level information that can be accessed and understood in the context of a purchase decision.
In practice, this typically takes the form of product pages or digital product information systems, where data is structured and maintained over time.
AGEC and textile EPR
The AGEC Law builds on an existing regulatory system in France: Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR).
Under EPR, companies placing products on the market are responsible for their end-of-life, including collection, sorting, and recycling.
In the fashion sector, this system is managed by Refashion, the official eco-organisation for textiles, clothing, household linen, and footwear.
Refashion plays a central role in translating regulatory requirements into operational frameworks for brands. This includes:
- defining reporting obligations
- providing guidance on environmental information
- clarifying how product-level requirements should be applied in practice
Within the context of AGEC, this is particularly relevant for how product information is structured and disclosed.
For example, Refashion provides guidance on which environmental characteristics must be communicated to consumers, and under which conditions. It also clarifies important nuances, such as when certain information — like recyclability — is or is not required at product level.
This means that compliance with AGEC is not defined by the law alone.
It is shaped by how these requirements are interpreted and operationalised through the EPR system.
Penalties and risks
Failure to comply with AGEC requirements can result in administrative fines and requests to correct or withdraw information.
Non-compliance is not limited to missing information.
It also includes information that is incorrect, misleading, or not supported by verifiable data.
This shifts the risk from disclosure alone to data quality and consistency.
For companies, this affects not only regulatory compliance, but also how product information can be communicated, validated, and maintained over time.
AGEC and Digital Product Passports
AGEC introduces a structural shift that anticipates broader EU regulation.
It requires:
- product-level data
- structured information
- consumer access
These are the same principles underpinning Digital Product Passports (DPPs).
AGEC is an early example of how product data becomes operational.
What this means in practice
Compliance under AGEC requires:
- structured product data
- traceability across the supply chain
- coordination across teams (product, sourcing, compliance)
Information must:
- exist
- be accessible to consumers in France, including on the French version of the brand’s e-commerce website
- be maintained
- remain accessible over time
How companies can prepare
To comply with AGEC, companies need to:
- define product-level data structures
- identify required data points
- connect supply chain information to products
- ensure consistency across systems
This is where platforms like Renoon support brands: by structuring product data and aligning it with regulatory requirements. Discover how Renoon enables product-level data for AGEC requirements.
Latest updates
AGEC is already in force.
What is changing is who it applies to, and how requirements are clarified over time.
As of 2025, the law applies to companies placing more than 10,000 units on the French market and generating over €10 million in turnover.
This scope will expand progressively, bringing smaller companies and additional product categories into scope.
In parallel, organisations such as Refashion and the French authorities continue to clarify how requirements should be applied in practice, particularly around product-level information and disclosure.
This means that while the legal framework is stable, how it is implemented continues to evolve.
What to monitor next
For fashion brands, this is not only a compliance requirement.
It is a change in how product data needs to be defined, managed, and made accessible over time.
Tracking these updates is essential, as requirements become more specific and operational over time.
Explore Renoon’s DPP Newstracker to stay aligned with regulatory developments and understand how they apply to your products.
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