On 15 September 2026, France's High Committee for Eco-responsible Digital Technology (Haut Comité pour le Numérique Écoresponsable, HCNE) marked a major milestone for the country's digital sector. Recommerce Group, represented by CEO Augustin Becquet, signed the Charter of Best Practices for the Sale of Refurbished Digital Devices on Marketplaces. Developed under the auspices of the French Directorate General for Enterprise (DGE) and industry federations RCube, SPARE and FEVAD, the charter aims to improve standards across the sector and promote fair competition on every platform.

Why the Charter Is a Decisive Step for the Refurbished Market

By 2026, refurbished devices are no longer a niche market. According to our 2026 Recommerce© Barometer on the used smartphone market:

• More than one in five people in France now uses a second-hand smartphone.

• 82% of these purchases are made online, mainly through marketplaces.

• Consumers want greater transparency on marketplaces, particularly regarding the identity, customer reviews and certifications of the company that refurbished the device (70%).

Consumer interest in second-hand products is growing year after year for economic and environmental reasons. Yet inadequate oversight on some platforms has allowed anti-competitive practices to take root. Until now, some third-party sellers have been able to evade their tax and environmental obligations. This directly penalises compliant refurbishers and exposes platforms to liability risks.

Main Pillars of the Charter

The charter signed at the HCNE does not create new laws. It clarifies the existing legal framework and commits all signatories, including public authorities, marketplaces and refurbishers, to clear and fair rules.

1. Tax Transparency and Compliance with VAT Rules

A major obstacle to fair competition is the failure to comply with VAT rules, particularly the VAT margin scheme. The charter reaffirms:

• The requirement for marketplaces to verify sellers' identities and intra-Community VAT numbers.

• The marketplaces' liability for, and joint and several obligation to pay, VAT when a third-party seller fails to rectify an irregularity.

• The creation of a dedicated reporting channel with government enforcement authorities to report and rapidly remove fraudulent sellers.

2. Compliance with Environmental Obligations Including EPR and Private Copying Levies

To build a lasting circular economy, all businesses selling in France must contribute to the funding of waste management and cultural creation:

• Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR / WEEE): marketplaces must ensure that sellers have a Unique Identifier (IDU) and pay their eco-contributions, or declare and pay these contributions on their behalf.

• Private Copying Levy (RCP): platforms commit to clearly informing consumers of the amount applied to the product and the purpose of the levy.

3. Greater Accountability for Marketplaces

Under the due diligence obligations established by the Digital Services Act (DSA), marketplaces can no longer position themselves as passive hosting providers. They must verify the information sellers provide before allowing them to list products and work together to standardise checks on where sellers are actually established.

France Leads the Way Towards a European Regulatory Model

Although signed within a national framework, this DGE-led initiative is intended to serve as a reference model across Europe. Recommerce Group operates in 12 European countries and advocates for these fair rules to extend beyond France.

Europe's reuse market is interconnected. A refurbished product sold on a marketplace in France may come from a merchant based outside the EU or pass through another Member State. Establishing clear standards in France is a first step towards harmonising practices across the European single market and ensuring fair competition for all European refurbishers.

What the Charter Means for Consumers and Businesses

For Recommerce, a pioneer and European leader in refurbishment since 2009, signing the charter marks the culmination of four years of collective work and institutional advocacy.

Better communication to tackle unfair competition: Platforms are explicitly required to communicate and distribute these best-practice guidelines to all sellers. Sellers will therefore no longer be able to claim that they were unaware of the rules when breaches or irregularities occur.

Greater consumer trust and traceability: consumers can make purchases on a platform with greater confidence in the reliability of the professional seller.

Support for local industry and European sovereignty: by ensuring a level playing field, the charter protects industrial jobs and locally rooted reuse sectors in France and Europe.

Conclusion and Next Steps

The signing of this charter marks an essential first step. It shows that the circular economy cannot grow at the expense of fundamental tax and environmental rules.

As Augustin Becquet, CEO of Recommerce Group, explains:

“Building a sustainable refurbished-device market at scale requires an impeccable framework of trust. This charter lays the groundwork for fair competition among all market participants in France, but we must go further. More regular checks are essential, and marketplaces must take greater responsibility for the third-party sellers they host.”

🔗 Further Reading

• Read the official Charter on the French Ministry of the Economy website: https://rcube.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/20260915_Charte-2.pdf

• Explore Recommerce Group's CSR commitments and certifications: https://www.recommerce-group.com/about-us/sustainable-committment