France ties heat-pump support to European production

France – France has begun linking higher financial support for heat pumps to European production, with new rules requiring qualifying models to meet specified European manufacturing criteria to receive the enhanced Coup de pouce Chauffage CEE bonus.

The requirement took effect on 1 September 2026 and applies to qualifying individual air-to-water and water-to-water or water-glycol-to-water heat pumps replacing individual coal, oil or gas boilers in main residences. The exact model must hold French Government approval when the customer accepts the quotation.

Approval requires recognised performance certification and specified heat-pump assembly activity within the European Economic Area, making the measure a direct attempt to steer support towards European production.

France introduces European preference

The French Government announced the policy in January, saying enhanced support for individual heat pumps would be linked to both product performance and production in Europe.

The move forms part of France’s wider industrial policy for heat pumps, using financial support not only to accelerate the replacement of fossil-fuel boilers but also to encourage manufacturing and investment within Europe.

We are making a deliberate and necessary choice in favour of European preference

Sébastien Martin, French minister delegate for industry

The policy has now moved from announcement to implementation, with the approval requirement applying to eligible operations engaged from 1 September.

What counts as European production

The legal manufacturing test is narrower than requiring the entire heat pump to be made in Europe.

For monobloc heat pumps, final assembly of the complete refrigerant circuit must take place within the European Economic Area.

For split systems, final assembly of at least one refrigerant-circuit subassembly, either the indoor or outdoor unit, must take place within the EEA.

Models must also hold recognised third-party performance certification, including Heat Pump KEYMARK, NF PAC or Eurovent Certified Performance LCP-HP, or an equivalent qualifying certification.

The rules therefore do not require every component to originate in Europe or every stage of manufacture to take place there.

Higher CEE support limited to approved models

The requirement applies specifically to the enhanced Coup de pouce Chauffage element of France’s energy savings certificate, or CEE, scheme.

For qualifying BAR-TH-171 air-to-water and BAR-TH-172 water-to-water or water-glycol-to-water installations, the underlying CEE certificate volume is multiplied by a coefficient of five.

To receive that enhancement, the precise heat-pump model must hold approval when the customer accepts the quotation. The approval number must also be included in the completion documentation.

Approval is model-specific, meaning installers and distributors need to check the exact unit rather than relying on a manufacturer or product family being eligible.

Implications for manufacturers

The change gives manufacturers supplying the French residential market a clear incentive to carry out qualifying production activity within the EEA.

France published its first list of approved models in July, with ADEME maintaining the approval system and searchable register.

A transitional approval route is also available for models supported by qualifying industrial investment plans designed to meet the production criteria.

Individual transitional approvals can run for up to one year and may be renewed once, but cannot remain valid beyond the end of 2028.

Not a ban on non-European heat pumps

The new rule does not prevent heat pumps manufactured outside Europe from being sold or installed in France.

It specifically affects access to the enhanced Coup de pouce Chauffage CEE bonus and does not establish European production as a blanket condition across every French heat-pump support scheme.

Air-to-air heat pumps, standalone domestic-hot-water heat pumps, collective residential systems and commercial or industrial heat pumps fall outside this particular measure.

For manufacturers, distributors and installers operating in France, however, the policy direction is clear: higher heat-pump support is now being used to favour models with qualifying European production.