The European Commission announced on the 17th of July that it would take France to court over overly demanding waste sorting rules, which the EC believes restrict the principle of the free movement of goods. The EU’s decision to go to court came after Paris repeatedly warned that the packaging labels used in France do not comply with single market requirements.
Under French law, manufacturers of packaging, textiles, telephones and even garden tools must place a sorting label, known as the “Info-tri” label, on their products so that residents know how to properly dispose of them. The label, introduced in 2022, explains which bin to put parts of an item or packaging in, and Paris has been at loggerheads with Brussels ever since.
The bloc last year introduced new packaging guidelines that require all packaging found on the EU market to have a single label, which includes information about the material used. True, the requirement will not come into force until August 2028.
The EC has indicated that until the introduction of uniform rules, the use of a special label in one country is unnecessary and creates obstacles to the single market. Companies have long complained that different local requirements for packaging labels make production more expensive and sales more difficult.
The French Environment Ministry has explained that it will adapt local legislation to the common requirements in 2028, but until then it plans to keep the existing labeling system, and the dispute will only delay the implementation of the new regulation.
France is known for its laws on the circular economy, which are much stricter than those required by EU regulations.