#32026D1435EU approval of French rules on destruction of unsold products
AI-generated summary for informational purposes only. Not legal advice. See the original source for the authoritative text.
France can keep national rules that restrict the destruction of unsold products, even where those rules go beyond the EU’s newer product-sustainability framework. The decision matters for companies placing consumer goods on the French market, especially retailers, distributors, brands, and e-commerce operators managing excess stock. In practice, businesses covered by the French rules should continue planning for reuse, donation, refurbishment, or other compliant handling of unsold goods rather than disposal. The Commission found that France’s stricter approach can be maintained because it supports environmental protection and does not unfairly block trade within the EU.
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Key Changes
- Approves France’s request to maintain national rules on the destruction of unsold products.
- Allows France to apply stricter controls than the EU baseline for some unsold consumer goods.
- Confirms that businesses active in France must continue following French waste-prevention rules for unsold stock.
Obligations
What this law requires
Large enterprises must not destroy unsold consumer products listed in Annex VII of Regulation (EU) 2024/1781 from 19 July 2026.
Medium-sized enterprises must not destroy unsold consumer products listed in Annex VII of Regulation (EU) 2024/1781 from 19 July 2030.
When discarding unsold products, businesses should route products for preparing for reuse, including refurbishment or remanufacturing, rather than intentionally damaging or discarding them as waste; recycling is treated as destruction under Regulation (EU) 2024/1781.