. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/TBT/N/FRA/14
1 August 2002
(02-4260)
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 Beauvau, 75800 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):   Marquees, big tops, tents
and single-storey structures.
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:  Draft Order on
Approval of Provisions Amending the Safe ty Regulations Governing Fire and Panic
Hazards in Buildings Open to the Public  (2 pages).
6. Description of content:
This draft Order defines the regulatory requirements for preventing fire and panic
hazards in single-storey structures.
Pursuant to Article GN 14 of the Order of 25 June 1980, amended, on the safety
regulations governing fire and panic hazards in buildings open to the public, the appliances
and equipment covered by this draft statutor y instrument 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 Communitydecision 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 recognised 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.G/TBT/N/FRA/14
Page 2
6. Description of content:  (cont'd)
When no standards or technical specifications such as those specified in points two
and three above exist or when the products fa il 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:
The erection of single-storey structures on French territory for major events is
gradually increasing with time.  Given the sheer number of members of the public presentand the risk that they run in the event of a fire, it was considered essential, at the request of
the local authorities, to establish technical and administrative requirements for preventing
fire hazards.
8. Relevant documents:  Order of 23 January 1985, amended, laying down special provisions
for marquees, big tops, tents and similar single-storey structures.
9. Proposed date of adoption:
Proposed date of entry into force: }November 2002
10. Final date for comments:  1 October 2002
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 Pressensé
93571 SAINT-DENIS-LA PLAINE CEDEX