EPR is based on the “polluter pays” principle, according to which producers, meaning those responsible for placing certain products on the market, can be held accountable for financing or organizing the prevention and management of waste generated by these products at the end of their life.
Directive 2012/19/EU on waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), transposed into French law through Decree No. 2014-928 of August 19, 2014, extends the principle of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) to photovoltaic panels.
As part of Extended Producer Responsibility, those who place photovoltaic panels on the market are collectively responsible for the collection and treatment of used equipment, whether they are collected in mainland France or in the overseas departments and regions where the regulations apply.
Producers can fulfill their obligations either by creating individual systems approved by the authorities for the waste generated by their own equipment, or by joining a collective system approved by the authorities. Producers contribute proportionally to the quantities of equipment they place on the market.
