./.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/TBT/Notif.98.273
8 June 1998
(98-2312)
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade
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 Employment and Solidarity – Directorate-General of
Health – 8 avenue de Ségur – 75350 Paris 07 SP
Agency or authority designated to handle comments regarding the notification shall be
indicated if different from above:           
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [    ], 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):  Measurement of airborne
asbestos fibres by transmission electron microscopy (Standard NFX 43-050)
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:  Order Concerning
Approval Conditions for Bodies Authorized to  Measure the Concentration of Asbestos Dust
in the Atmosphere in Buildings (6 pages)
6. Description of content:  The draft Order specifies and supplements the procedures for the
accreditation of bodies responsible for measuring the concentration of asbestos dust
pursuant to Decree No. 96-97 of 7 February 1996 on the protection of the population against
the health risks linked to exposure to asbestos in buildings (Article 5).
1. The draft Order establishes the obligation, as from 1 January 1999, that bodies
applying for approval must first be accredited.  The accreditation procedure allowsa more refined selection of such bodies in terms of competence and quality
assurance.  Bodies may be accredited by the French Accreditation Committee
(Comité Français d'Accréditation - Cofrac) or any other body that complies with the
procedures set out in Standard NF EN 45003 and is a signatory to the multilateral
European Cooperation for Accreditation Agreement.  Accreditation relates to testslaid down in accreditation programme No. 144 established by Cofrac or any other
equivalent programme, based on compliance with Standard X 43-050 "Air Quality
– Determination of Concentration of As bestos Fibres by Transmission Electron
Microscopy – Indirect Method".
2. The draft Order lays down the minimum rules to be observed by interested bodies
in order to submit a correctly formulated application (Article 2 and Annex 1).
3. The duration of approvals, initially set at one year, is extended to three years
(Article 2).
4. The draft Order specifies the content of the annual work report which approved
bodies must submit to the Minister of Health pursuant to Article 4 of the Order of7 February 1996 (Article 5 and Annexes 2 and 3).G/TBT/Notif.98.273
Page 2
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where applicable:  In order
to asses the state of conservation of asbestos-containing materials it is usually necessary to
measure the airborne fibres in the premises containing such materials.  Whether or not very
expensive work needs to be carried out on these materials depends on the results of this
measurement.  The reliability of this measurement depends on the method used and thequality assurance procedures applied by the body carrying out the measurement.  Given that
the quantity of dust is small (the threshold for intervention is set at 25 fibres per litre), it is
essential to have a very sensitive analysis and counting technology.  Electron microscopy
was therefore chosen and Standard 43-050 drafted for this purpose.  The accreditation
procedure ensures that the bodies concerned have the necessary human and material
resources to carry out the measurement properly as well as a quality assurance programme.
8. Relevant documents:
- Decree No. 96-97 of 7 February 1996 as amended concerning the protection of the
population against the health risks linked to exposure to asbestos in buildings.
- Order of 7 February 1996 on approval conditions for bodies authorized to measure
the concentration of asbestos dust in the atmosphere in buildings.
9. Proposed date of adoption:
Proposed date of entry into force: } Early July 1998
10. Final date for comments:  End June 1998
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [X] or address, e-mail and telefax number of
the other body:  (CINORTECH)