At the beginning of September 2026, several regulatory reforms come into effect in France and Europe simultaneously. Electronic invoicing, regulation of fast fashion, border controls in Europe: the density of concrete changes makes this back-to-school period particularly busy for individuals and businesses alike.
European customs reform and tax on fast fashion: what changes for consumers
The European Union has adopted a customs reform that fundamentally alters the responsibility of non-European e-commerce platforms. Sites like Shein or Temu will now be treated as importers for customs formalities and duties, with an enhanced sanctions regime. A future European customs center is set to be established in Lille to centralize the processing of these flows.
On the French side, a tax of up to 20% on ultra-fast fashion products will come into effect on September 1. It directly targets fast fashion brands with the shortest production and renewal cycles. This measure, reported by Reuters and Euronews in early September, places France among the first European countries to fiscally target this segment.
To keep track of these developments day by day, the articles from On ne m’avait pas dit que regularly detail the new measures affecting the daily lives of the French.
The stated goal is twofold: to protect local textile industries and to reduce the environmental footprint of clothing overproduction. However, some observers believe that the tax could simply be passed on to the final price without changing the volumes ordered.
Electronic invoicing and capped sick leave: French reforms of September 2026
Electronic invoicing becomes mandatory for all companies starting September 1. In practice, every entity, including small businesses, must be able to receive invoices in a dematerialized format via a certified platform. Mandatory issuance will follow in stages, but this first deadline already imposes a technical upgrade.
The capping of sick leave is the other major change. The duration of certain sick leaves is now more strictly regulated, a measure aimed at limiting the continuous rise in daily allowance expenses. Le Figaro and Service-public.fr detailed these provisions at the end of August.
Several other adjustments affect daily life:
- Access to certain energy renovation aids (MaPrimeRénov’) is tightened, with income and performance criteria raised
- Cold calling has been banned in France since August 11, a measure whose concrete effects are beginning to be felt this back-to-school season
- Regulated gas prices are changing on September 1, in a context of still unstable energy prices
These changes are in addition to new rules for motorists, with modifications to driving license aids and developments in road safety.
EES controls at European borders: the system from September 6
The Entry/Exit System (EES) comes into effect on September 6, 2026, at the external borders of the Schengen area. This system replaces the manual stamping of passports with digital biometric registration for non-European travelers. Fingerprints and photos will be collected at each crossing.
The available data does not yet allow for conclusions about the actual impact on waiting times at airports and border posts. Several member countries have expressed reservations about the technical capacity to handle flows without significantly lengthening queues.
For European travelers, the change is indirect: longer checks for nationals from third countries could create congestion at shared crossing points. The airports in Paris, Amsterdam, and Frankfurt have announced adjustments to dedicated corridors.
Greenwashing and European labels: a stricter framework by the end of September
New harmonized labels on legal guarantees and commercial guarantees are set to come into effect by the end of the month. At the same time, non-verifiable environmental claims are increasingly prohibited at the European level. A product can no longer claim to be “carbon neutral” or “100% green” without a verifiable methodological justification.
This evolution is part of the European anti-greenwashing directive gradually adopted since 2024. It applies to both food packaging and product pages on e-commerce sites. The penalties vary by member state, but the general framework imposes fines proportional to revenue.
Strengthened filtering of foreign investments
The European Union is also strengthening the filtering of foreign direct investments (FDI) in strategic sectors. This less-publicized mechanism concerns acquisitions or stakes in companies related to defense, semiconductors, or critical infrastructure. Member states will have shortened deadlines to notify and review these operations.
Late heatwave and back-to-school: a week under climate tension
Seven departments in southern France have been placed on orange heatwave alert for the beginning of September. Temperatures exceed seasonal norms by several degrees, raising questions about thermal management in schools that have just reopened.
Schools in the south are facing heatwave protocols activated from the very first week of classes. Le Parisien reports that in some municipalities, classes have been adjusted with staggered schedules. The actual capacity of school buildings to protect students remains uncertain, as most are not equipped with air conditioning.
This situation illustrates a recurring phenomenon: late heat episodes are becoming more frequent, but public infrastructures remain designed for a climatic calendar that no longer exists. The continuous decline in the number of students could, however, free up some leeway, as some unoccupied classrooms allow for moving classes to better-ventilated or north-facing spaces.