compliance teamThe French declaration window: January to the end of February
Step 1
Request data in November
Step 2
Reconcile volumes
Step 3
File inside the window
Step 4
Retain filing and invoice
| Control | Evidence to retain |
|---|---|
| Scope | Entity, product, channel, scheme and source |
| External action | Version, date, authorised filer and issued receipt |
| Maintenance | Source data, approval, invoice and next deadline |
A short window, once a year
Household packaging and papers are declared for the previous calendar year in a window that opens on 1 January and closes at the end of February, on the portal of the eco-organisation joined.
Under the published 2026 Léko terms, an annual contribution of €10,000 or less is invoiced annually by 31 March, and larger amounts are invoiced quarterly. The eco-organisation actually joined confirms its own portal and deadline each year.
The declaration is a data problem before it is a filing problem
Order counts by destination, product families, pack formats and the packaging added at fulfilment all have to be reconciled. Assembling that in the last week of February produces an estimate nobody can defend two years later during a control.
A workable rhythm requests data in November, reconciles it in December, resolves gaps in early January and files with time to spare.
Keep the filing, the invoice and the payment together
A declaration is only as good as the record behind it. Store the filed declaration, the scale used, the invoice, the payment proof and the assumptions, by year and by scheme.
Where a representative is in place, that evidence also defines the perimeter of what was accepted for that period, which is the first thing anyone will read if the file is ever questioned.
Conclusion
Scope comes before a form. Connect the legal entity, product, sales channel and EPR stream to the rule that actually applies.
Evidence must remain traceable. Keep source data, versions, approvals, filings, receipts and every record issued by an external body.
Third-party decisions are never guaranteed. Eco-organisations, the public register and marketplaces control their own procedures, timing and decisions.