Regulatory deadline end 2025 - 2026: what can we expect?
SAFETY
Occupational health service: updating documents
A decree dated March 3, 2025, has amended the rules governing medical check-ups and workstation adjustments set out in the decree dated October 16, 2017.
It updates the official models issued by occupational health service health professionals, in particular fitness and unfitness notices and individual health monitoring certificates.
These documents are issued at the end of examinations and visits carried out as part of the individual health monitoring of workers covered by Part Four of the French Labor Code.
These new models will come into force on 01/07/2025.
Electrical installations and mobile and lifting equipment: new rules on medical certificates
As of October 1, 2025, workers requiring driving authorization or electrical clearance will no longer be subject to reinforced individual monitoring by the occupational health department. [read more in the ebook]
ENVIRONMENT
Transport: New emission standards for light and heavy vehicles
Two texts published in August 2021 introduce reinforced requirements to reduce polluting emissions in the transport sector.
The first, a decree dated July 29, 2021, bans from October 1, 2025, the circulation in France of heavy goods vehicles over 40 tons registered before October 1, 2009 or equipped with a Euro 5 standard engine.
Only vehicles with a Euro 6 engine (or higher standard) or registered after January 1, 2014 will be authorized to circulate.
[continued in ebook]
Waste: WEEE, AGEC law, EPR
A. Ecodesign: stricter standards for electronics and household appliances in Europe
The European Commission has adopted two regulations aimed at smartphones and tablets: [find out more in the ebook 👇 ]
B. Batteries: Setting up an EPR system
A decree dated December 27, 2024 adapts the legal framework of the EPR system for batteries. These provisions will come into force on August 18, 2025.
This development follows the European regulation on batteries published in July 2023.
Deforestation: EU imposes strict controls on 7 key products
Certain agricultural and forestry products, notably coffee, cocoa, palm oil, soy, cattle, rubber and wood, are directly involved in global deforestation. To combat this phenomenon, the European Union adopted a regulation on deforestation and forest degradation on June 9, 2023. Its aim: to reduce the environmental impact of products placed on the market or exported from the EU.
Three mandatory compliance criteria:
All products derived from these raw materials must meet three key requirements to be marketed in the EU.
These three criteria give rise to a number of obligations for the operators and retailers concerned: [more in the ebook].
📅 Effective dates: 🚀 December 31, 2025 or June 30, 2026
ICPE: New obligations to be implemented
1 – Arrêté du 4 octobre 2010 relatif à la prévention des risques accidentels au sein des installations classées pour la protection de l’environnement soumises à autorisation (Order of October 4, 2010 on the prevention of accidental risks in facilities subject to environmental protection authorization)
Risk protection obligations to be implemented by January 1, 2026.
2 – Fire detection
As of January 1, 2026, operators of headings 2711, 2712, 2713, 2714, 2716, 2718, 2790 and 2791 must have installed an automatic fire detection system and a system of regular rounds in areas likely to contain combustible or flammable waste.
3 – Battery storage
As of January1, 2026, the […]
4 – Post-Lubrizol
Following the major fire at Lubrizol in 2019, an order dated September 24, 2020 strengthened the framework for ICPEs with flammable liquids.
[…]
From January 1, 2026, new obligations will apply to these ICPEs. They concern the installation of fire retention systems, the upgrading of retention capacities and the storage of flammable liquids.
ENERGY
Hydrocarbon producers: A “net zero” plan required by the EU
Regulation 2024/1735 of June 13, 2024 establishes a framework for increasing European production of “net zero” technologies.
CHEMICAL PRODUCTS
👉 REACH: New restrictions on microplastics expected
Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/2055 of September 25, 2023
Deadline: October 17, 2025!
New VLEP: Update for several chemical agents
Decree no. 2024-307 of April 4, 2024 amends the table in Article R. 4412-149 of the French Labor Code, updating the binding occupational exposure limit values (OELVs) for several chemical agents.
New TLVs have been set for nickel compounds(applicable from January 18, 2025), and for acrylonitrile(applicable from April 5, 2026).
Labor Code, article R. 4412-149, as last amended by Decree no. 2024-307 of April 4, 2024