The French WEEE Law (Decree No. 2014-928) came into effect on August 23, 2014, requiring producers and importers of photovoltaic modules to individually organize and fund the collection and treatment of waste photovoltaic modules or join a collective plan. According to French law, all photovoltaic modules placed on the market are classified as domestic waste and must be charged a considerable fee. Visible costs must be posted on the invoice of each newly sold photovoltaic module and allow funding for the collection, classification and recycling of future photovoltaic waste.

In order to obtain a commercial license on the French market, producers must register an approved recycling program or establish a personal system approved by the Ministry of the Environment. Manufacturers must also declare to their recycling program the number of photovoltaic modules (PoM) placed on the market. Only approved programs can report PoM data to the national WEEE registration.

The producer is defined according to French WEEE law:

Any natural or legal person established in France and France

Manufacture photovoltaic modules in his own name or trademark, or design or manufacture photovoltaic modules and sell them in France under his name or trademark

Resale of photovoltaic modules produced by other suppliers in France under his own name or trademark. If the brand of the original manufacturer appears on the photovoltaic module, the distributor is not regarded as a "producer"

Any natural or legal person that puts photovoltaic modules from a third country or another EU country on a professional basis that is not established in France and sells photovoltaic modules directly to private households or users other than French private residents is also defined "Manufacturer".