Amendment in French Consumer Product Law

We would like to inform you without obligation of some amendments in French law which have direct effects on the sale of consumer products in France.

1. Triman-Logo

Many consumer products must in France from 1.1.2015 be marked in principle with the Triman-Logo.

The aim of this statute is to inform consumers in France whether a product or its packaging is recyclable and therefore should be collected separately from other waste.

The following products in particular are affected.

• Packaging (including glass packaging)
• electrical and electronic equipment
• tires
• textiles
• furniture
• harmless substances such as paint, adhesives, etc.

2. Hamon-Gesetz

In addition, a number of obligations under the French Hamon Act have to be observed. The consumer must for example prior to the conclusion of a contract be informed in particular of the following points:

• the significant characteristics of the product or service
• their price
• the date or the period in which the goods will be delivered or the service provided
• the identity of the business (address, telephone number, electronic contact details)
• the availability of spare parts.

It is here to be emphasised that according thereto, likewise prior to the conclusion of the contract a notice as to the time period in which spare parts will be available for the consumer product must be provided. According to the intention of the French legislator, the availability of spare parts should be made expressly into a criterion for the consumer’s decision. The manufacturer is also obliged to provide the Seller or the workshop performing the repair with the necessary spare parts within two months.

This obligation which will affect both the labelling and the logistics (spare parts) applies to products places on the market in France from 1.3.2015.

If you are interested in specific legal advice on French law, we would be glad to provide support through our global Lex Mundi network.

Subscribe to our newsletter Product Compliance, the edition March 2015 is available for download here.