. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/TBT/N/FRA/20
15 January 2003
(03-0206)
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original:  French
NOTIFICATION
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6.
1. Member to Agreement notifying:  FRANCE
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):
2. Agency responsible:
Ministry of the Interior
Directorate of Civil Defence and Safety
Place Beauvau75800 PARIS Cedex 08
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers and E-mail and Web site
addresses, if available) of  agency or authority designated to handle comments
regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above:
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [  X ], 2.10.1 [    ], 5.6.2 [    ], 5.7.1 [    ], other:
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading.
ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):
The proposed amendments relate to the following technical specifications on fire protection:
- Gas lines made of synthetic materials;
- direct-fired heating systems;
- specialized modules and containers for cooking appliances in exhibition halls;
- packaging compaction systems;
-l i f t s ;
- medical gas systems;- fire doors and fire dampers;
- membranes for pneumatic structures.
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:
Draft Order Approving Provisions Supplementing and Amending the Safety Regulations
Governing Fire and Panic Hazards in Buildings Open to the Public  (27 pages).
6. Description of content:
This draft Order concerns the safety regulations governing fire and panic hazards in
buildings open to the public:
- The general provisions applicable to all establishments open to the public in group 
one;
- the special provisions adapted to the specific operating conditions of establishments
open to the public in group one (types M – sales outlets and shopping centres, 
T-showrooms and exhibition halls, U – health care institutions, CTS – marquees, 
big tops, tents and similar single-storey structures, and SG – pneumatic structures);G/TBT/N/FRA/20
Page 2
6. Description of content:  (cont'd)
- the special provisions adapted to the specific operating conditions of establishments
open to the public in group two (category five).
Pursuant to Article GN 14 of the Order of 25 June 1980, amended, on safety regulations, the
technical requirements covered by this regulation do not constitute an impediment orconstraint to the free circulation of products. This Article specifies that the appliances and
equipment covered by these safety regulations  must comply with one of the following:
- French standards;
- harmonized European standards;
- the national technical specifications of other member States of the European Union
or European Economic Area recognized by Community decision and the list of
which is published in the Official Journal of the French Republic.
- the standards or technical specifications of other member States of the European
Union or European Economic Area recognized as equivalent on the basis of the
opinion of the competent bodies responsible for the publication of the relevant texts.
The list of these standards or technical specifications is published in the Official
Journal of the French Republic.
When no standards or technical specifications such as those specified in points two and
three above exist or when the products fail  to comply with them, European technical
approval attests to the products’ fitness for purpose.
7. Objective and rationale, including the na ture of urgent problems where applicable:
This draft Order aims to:
- Integrate technical innovations and European standards;
- improve the readability of the text by adapting it to changes in practical application;- ensure consistency in these areas with regulations on other branches of economic
activity.
8. Relevant documents:   None
9. Proposed date of adoption:  March 2003
Proposed date of entry into force:  June 2003
10. Final date for comments:  60 days
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [  X ] or address, telephone and fax
numbers and E-mail and Web site addresses, if available, of other body:
National enquiry point
CINORTECH (National Information Centre on Standards and Technical Regulations)
AFNOR (French Standards Association)
11, avenue Francis de Pressensé93571 SAINT-DENIS-LA PLAINE Cedex