For information: France’s new Environmental Cost label (aka Ecoscore) for textiles starts 1 October 2025

Summary:

On the 4^th of September France has formally announced the final texts for the textile environmental label, now officially called the Environmental Cost (formerly “Eco-Score”). Entry into force is 1st October 2025 for the voluntary phase and as of October 2026 third parties may calculate and publish your scores based on negative default values . This update applies to all companies who put apparel on the French market (French or foreign companies). All producers, importers, and distributors placing apparel on the French market are in scope. There are no explicit exemptions for small brands mentioned.

More information:

France has approved the final texts for its textile environmental label, now officially called the Environmental Cost. The rules enter into force on 1 October 2025, and they apply to any company that places apparel on the French market, whether you are based in France or abroad. The decree does not mention specific exemptions for small brands.

Scope:

The scheme covers apparel made primarily of textile fibres (including trims). It applies to eleven product categories:

• boxer/briefs,
• underpants,
• socks,
• shirt,
• jeans,
• skirt/dress,
• swimsuit,
• coat/jacket,
• pants/shorts,
• pull,
• T-shirt/polo.

Certain items are out of scope:

Second-hand products; products where more than 20% of the mass is non-textile or not modelled in Ecobalyse; items with electronic components; leather goods and accessories; shoes and accessories; and PPE unless it is sold directly to consumers.

How the Environmental Cost works:

Scores are calculated with Ecobalyse, the government tool that uses life-cycle assessment across 16 indicators and converts results into a single points value. A higher number of points indicates a higher environmental impact. For apparel specifically, the method adds penalties for microplastic shedding and for the export of used garments outside the EU. It also adjusts the “use phase” with a durability coefficient (approximately 0.67–1.45) based on two signals: product range breadth (how many SKUs you offer in the same category) and the strength of your repair incentive (e.g., repair service and relative repair cost).

Data requirements:

To produce a compliant score, you must provide six pieces of primary product data: the product category, finished mass, the nature and percentage of raw materials, and the countries of textile formation (weaving/knitting), finishing, and assembly. If any attributes are missing, Ecobalyse applies conservative (worse) defaults (for example, “India”), and the result will not count as compliant.

Beyond these, a set of optional but influential fields can materially improve accuracy such as:

• remanufactured,
• the number of references in the segment,
• reference price and repair service,
• origins of raw material and spinning,
• finishing and washing details,
• air-transport share,
• accessories,

Leaving them blank triggers punitive defaults (e.g., 100k references, 100% air freight, ultra-fast-fashion durability), which typically worsen the score.

Publishing and the label consumers will see:

Each sales reference (colourway) must have its own score, calculated on a single representative size from the official size table; per-size scores are not permitted. Information must be accessible at the point of purchase, whether on a product page or at checkout. When displaying the score digitally, you must link to the full dataset on the government portal. The visual must follow the official design, show total impact points and points per 100 g, and be at least as prominent as the price and any other environmental label.

Next steps :

• 15 September 2025 - Ecobalyse & Government portal opens where companies need to upload results  (CSV, API, or manual; delegation possible).
• 1 October 2025 - Entry into force. Brands may voluntarily calculate and publish. If you already show any single environmental score (e.g., a carbon footprint) on French pages, you must also display the Environmental Cost label.
• From October 2026 - If you have not published your scores, third parties (retailers, NGOs, journalists, etc.) may publish your score using defaults. Brand-published scores replace third-party ones.
• Ongoing - Optional quarterly updates; if methods change, brands must revise within 12 months.

Supporting Documents:

• Here you can find the official FAQ on France’s Environmental Cost labelling, published by the French authorities.  https://www.ecologie.gouv.fr/sites/default/files/documents/FAQ_GP_Affichage-environnemental_VF.pdf
• FESI has prepared an English translation and included a practical example for your reference.
• FESI was invited by WFSGI to present an update on this file. Please find attached the PPT presentation.

This material is for information only and does not constitute legal advice.

We will continue addressing concerns with the EU Commission at technical and political level.