FDES (Fiche de Déclaration Environnementale et Sanitaire) is a standardized environmental product declaration used in France for construction products, assessing both environmental and health impacts.
FDES is prepared in accordance with the European standard EN 15804 + A2 and the French national annex NF EN 15804/CN, and is based on the principles of ISO 14025.
This declaration evaluates the environmental impacts of a product throughout its entire life cycle — including raw material extraction, manufacturing, transport, installation, use, and end-of-life stages — and incorporates health indicators specific to France.
FDES documents are registered in INIES, the official environmental and health database for construction products in France, and are subject to independent third-party verification.
Although FDES is often referred to as the “French EPD,” it differs from a standard EPD by also covering health indicators and including requirements specific to French regulations.
FDES is directly linked to environmental regulations in France.
In particular, it aligns with the following standards and frameworks:
NF EN 15804 + A2
NF EN 15804/CN (French National Annex)
ISO 14025
France’s RE 2020 (Réglementation Environnementale 2020) regulation
Under RE 2020, building-level Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is mandatory for new buildings. In these calculations, FDES documents registered in the INIES database are used as product data sources.
For this reason, FDES has become a de facto requirement for many construction products placed on the French market.
What Does FDES Cover?
FDES evaluates a product’s entire life cycle using a “cradle-to-grave” approach.
Life Cycle Stages
A1–A3: Production (raw material extraction and manufacturing)
A4–A5: Transport and construction/installation stage
B1–B7: Use stage
C1–C4: End-of-life (deconstruction, waste management, disposal)
(When applicable, Module D – benefits from reuse, recovery, or recycling – may also be included.)
Key Environmental Indicators
Climate change (CO₂ equivalent)
Ozone layer depletion
Acidification
Eutrophication
Photochemical ozone formation
Use of renewable and non-renewable resources
Water consumption
Waste generation
Health and Indoor Environment Information
The indicators assessed within this scope may include:
- Volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions
- Impacts on indoor air quality
- Indicators related to contributions to water and air pollution (depending on the product type)