No, it is voluntary: a manufacturer can carry out a PEF without a PEFCR (using a more complex and costly method) or choose other frameworks (ISO 14040/14044). The PEFCR effectively becomes mandatory when a regulatory scheme relies on it. This is not the case for French textile environmental labelling: Écobalyse uses the PEF foundation, with its own adjustments, 2 additions outside LCA (microfibres, exports outside Europe) and a durability coefficient.
Read the source article: EF 3.1 has expired: which LCA database for a PEF?