Ecobalyse and the French Environmental Labelling Decree: A New Regulatory Framework for Sustainable Fashion
Updated Information!
France’s finalized Environmental Labelling Decree for textiles brings a clear regulatory mandate for transparency in fashion textile’s environmental impact. Backed by the official government publication (Décret n° 2025-957 du 6 septembre 2025), the decree enters into force on October 1, 2025, establishing a phased approach to compliance for textile brands sold in France.
Key Dates and Regulatory Stages
/ October 1, 2025: The decree officially takes effect. From this date,
- Brands without environmental impact claim may voluntarily calculate and disclose the environmental cost (“coût environnemental”) of textile products using the Ecobalyse tool.
- Brands with an existing environmental impact claim must calculate and disclose the environmental cost (“coût environnemental”) of textile products using the Ecobalyse tool
Both impact scores can be displayed if not contradictory.
- September 15, 2025: Launch of the official government declaration portal for uploading scores and getting delivered the environmental cost label.
- October 1, 2026: After a one-year transition, third parties — including NGOs, retailers, or consultants — are permitted to calculate and publish environmental scores without brand prior agreement, when brands do not provide their own, in line with the decree.
Methodology and Scope
The decree covers all new and remanufactured textile garments placed on the French market, regardless of origin. Brands, importers, and distributors are required to use the government’s Ecobalyse platform for calculating and declaring the environmental score for each product reference.
Ecobalyse is the only authorized tool for calculating the environmental cost. The methodology is strictly defined:
/ Score Calculation: Based on a lifecycle assessment, the tool aggregates 16 impact categories derived from the EU’s Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) model, with French-specific adjustments for microfibre pollution, end-of-life export, and durability.
/ Mandatory Data: Brands must enter detailed information about product composition, garment weight and materials weights, spinning, weaving, printing or finishing, and manufacturing country or geographical locations, and other parameters defined by ministerial order.
/ Transparency: The score must be accessible at the point of sale — physically (e.g. label or hangtag) and digitally (e.g. product page) — using a standard graphic approved by the Ministry for Ecological Transition.
/ Durability Factor: A coefficient reflecting product lifespan is included, rewarding repairability and discouraging overproduction and short-lived SKUs.
/ Updates: Brands can update scores quarterly. Significant changes to the methodology require an update within one year.
During the first year (October 1, 2025 to September 30, 2026), only scores published by the brand or with their explicit approval can appear on the public portal. From October 2026, third parties may publish scores in the absence of brand-provided data, using available or estimated figures according to the decree.
Implications for Fashion Brands
For brands distributing in France — including foreign companies placing products on the French market—compliance is no longer optional. While the initial year allows voluntary disclosure, the mechanism enabling third parties to publish environmental scores strongly incentivizes brands to take initiative and ensure accurate, data-driven results. Scores calculated by third parties default to conservative assumptions if brand data is not supplied, which may negatively impact perceived product sustainability.
The new regulatory framework marks a significant shift: any environmental scores or claims presented to consumers must align with this official methodology. Non-compliant or non-standardized environmental claims are not permitted.
Supporting Compliance with Trimco Group’s ProductDNA®
Navigating this regulatory change requires comprehensive data management and process integration. Trimco Group’s ProductDNA® platform is designed to streamline compliance with the French decree:
/ Data Accuracy: Certificate Manager enables brands to collect, store, and maintain the detailed supply chain and product data required by Ecobalyse.
/ Traсeability at PO/batch Level: our empowered care label ordering system allows to connect data and collect complementary data required for the environmental cost calculation.
/ Integration and Submission: ProductDNA® allows direct export of product data in the required format to be delivered back to the brands, which can be seamlessly uploaded to the government’s declaration portal or to the third party service provider in charge of running calculation and declaring on brands' behalf to the French authorities.
/ Consumer Transparency: The platform allows for the integration of QR codes on product labels, directly linking physical items to their declared environmental score and supporting traceability throughout the supply chain.
Brands that adapt quickly and disclose accurate scores retain control over their environmental narrative, minimize compliance risk, and demonstrate responsible leadership within Europe’s evolving sustainability landscape.
If your brand seeks to simplify the transition to Ecobalyse compliance, contact Trimco Group to learn how ProductDNA® supports not only compliance but also operational efficiency and consumer trust through transparent communication.