France Issues Decrees on Endocrine-Disrupting Substances, Defining Lists and Information Disclosure Obligations

On October 12, 2023, France’s Minister for Ecological Transition and Territorial Cohesion published several decrees concerning substances with endocrine-disrupting properties, which were based on relevant provisions dated September 28, 2023 and officially came into force on October 13, 2023.

I. Core Decree (Text No. 13): Defining Substance Classifications and Information Obligations

This decree focuses on defining three categories of key content and clarifies corresponding information disclosure requirements. Its core objective is to safeguard consumers’ right to know about relevant substances in accordance with the Agenda for the Ecological Design of Products and Energy Transition Act (AGEC Act):

1. Definition of Substance Scope

• Substances with proven and presumed endocrine-altering properties that are available for commercial purposes and sold to the general public;

• Substances classified as suspected of having endocrine-disrupting properties.

2. Key Regulated Product CategoriesIt identifies product categories with specific exposure risks. If such products contain the aforementioned "suspected endocrine-disrupting substances", they must fulfill the information disclosure obligation.

3. Requirements for Information ProvisionFor products containing relevant substances with endocrine-disrupting properties, information on the presence of such substances must be provided electronically in an open format—ensuring the information is reusable and accessible via automated processing systems. France’s National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety (ANSES) will classify the endocrine-disrupting properties of substances in its specifications to provide a basis for the above requirements.

II. Supplementary Decree (Text No. 14): Designating an Alternative Method for Information Provision

This decree explicitly designates "Scan4Chem" as an alternative method for providing information to the public, which is used to inform about the presence of proven, presumed, or suspected endocrine-disrupting substances in products.