You can join online in a few clicks. Simply enter all the contact details of the company and Citeo’s point of contact at the company, as well as the details of the contract signatories.

If you decide to go through a service provider to manage your contract, the latter will need to present a management mandate or a power of attorney, as necessary.

The contract is signed online. You will then receive confirmation of your membership within a few days.

The amount you pay depends on the quantity of packaged products (also known as consumer sales units or CSUs) you sell to households in France.

Citeo offers three types of declaration based on that quantity or volume:

€80 FLAT FEE	SIMPLIFIED DECLARATION	CONSUMER SALES UNIT (CSU) DECLARATION
Companies marketing under 10,000 CSUs per year do not need to provide a detailed declaration. No figures are required. Just sign into your client account to declare your status. You will only need to pay the minimum annual flat rate of €80 excl. tax.	This declaration is available to companies placing under 500,000 CSUs on the market annually. No detailed data is required. The contribution is based on flat rates per product family.	Accessible to all. Each type of packaging is broken down into material type and weight, to which an eco-modulation (bonus and penalty) sometimes applies. Available to all our clients and mandatory if you place 500,000 CSUs or more on the market..

 

Here are a few examples of average eco-contribution rates per type of packaging*:

*Please note that these are average rates for broad product categories. The final amount paid for your packaging will depend on the specific characteristics of the packaging.

If you have any other questions about the rate, you can ask our Customer Service teams for a simulation by sending an email to citeo@citeo.com

Once you are a member, you will be able to access our various declaration simulators for each of the three declaration types offered (per CSU, simplified with shipping boxes, or without).

 You can carry out as many simulations as needed to choose the best option for you.

Each declaration offers different advantages – you are free to decide which best meets your needs and budget.

Once you become a member, you receive a provisional invoice of €80 excl. tax.

The period taken into account for packaging placed on the market runs from 1 January to 31 December. You have from 1 January to 28 February of the following year to declare your packaging. An adjustment invoice will then be sent to you based on your declaration.

E.g. for packaging placed on the market in 2022, the declaration period is January-February 2023.

After that, for annual contributions of over €5,000, you receive quarterly provisional invoices that are based on your last declaration. You then receive an adjustment invoice at the start of the following year, once you have declared your packaging.

For contributions of under €5,000, invoices are issued annually and paid in December.

To be able to join a producer responsibility organisation, you must have a VAT number if you are based in the European Union.

If you are a private individual, packaging EPR does not apply to you.

However, it applies to you if you are an auto-entrepreneur. You can request a VAT number even if your business is exempt from VAT. Obtaining this VAT number does not affect your tax situation.

You can request a VAT number via this government website: https://entreprendre.service-public.fr/vosdroits/R38712

If you are part of a group, you have two options.

Option 1:

The group joins on behalf of all its subsidiaries. At account creation, simply indicate that you are acting as an Agent and list all the subsidiaries (or franchises) covered by the contract in the list of principals. It means you only have to provide one declaration for all the listed subsidiaries (or franchises).

It also means that you benefit from a centralised support hub for your entire network, with access to all Citeo’s expertise on various topics (regulatory watch, declarations, communication, tools and services).

However, it implies collecting all the information on the packaging placed on the market by your various subsidiaries (or franchises).

Option 2:

Each subsidiary or franchise joins Citeo individually. They will then be responsible for their membership, filling out declarations and paying the contribution(s) linked to their specific business activities.

First case: original packaging for second-hand products coming from France

If you sell second-hand products in their original packaging (e.g. shoebox, cell phone packaging, etc.), you do not need to declare the primary packaging of these products. The responsibility lies with the producer of the packaging when it was first placed on the market.

• Packaging exempt from declaration

 

Second case: original packaging for second-hand products coming from abroad

If you are based abroad and sell to French consumers second-hand packaged products in their original packaging (e.g. shoe boxes, cell phone packaging, etc.), you are responsible for declaring them as you are considered as the first importer of the packaging into France.

• Packaging must be declared

 

Third case: reused shipping packaging

Whether you're based in France or abroad, if you reuse cardboards or any other type of packaging for a shipment, you must declare them, unless you can trace and justify that they have been declared when they were first placed on the French market.

• Packaging must be declared

 

Fourth case: loose sales (products sold in bulk)

If you sell 100% bulk products without any packaging, you don't have to declare anything. For example, if your customers systematically bring their own containers to transport your products.

Be careful to ensure that no associated elements are considered as packaging. Packaging potentially includes anything that can be thrown away when the product is opened or consumed, whatever its material is. Examples of packaging include, but are not limited to: labels, ties, string, kraft bags, cling film, etc.

• If no packaging, exempt from declaration