. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/FRA/4
10 March 2003
(03-1361)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:  French          
NOTIFICATION
1. Member to Agreement notifying:  FRANCE          
If applicable, name of local government involved:           
2. Agency responsible: Directorate-General of Food and Nutrition – International Sanitary
Coordination Division – 251, rue de Vaugirard, 75732 PARIS Cedex 15.
catherine.rogy@agriculture.gouv.fr
Tel: +(33)01 49 55 84 86           
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national schedules
deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers should be provided in addition, where
applicable):  Fertilizing substances and growing media [CN 3101 to 3105] [ICS 65.080]     
    
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable:  Any
country marketing fertilizing substances and growing media in France.           
5. Title, language and number of pages of the notified document:  Order on the Inspections
to be Conducted by Parties Responsible for Placing Certain Fertilizing Substances and
Growing Media on the Market (2 pages, in French).          
6. Description of content:  This Order reaffirms the self-inspection obligations of parties
responsible for placing fertilizing substances and growing media on the market in
accordance with mandatory standards.  It supplements the Order establishing the mandatoryimplementation of standards and sets out the characteristics of the products which are
subject to regular analyses by the parties responsible for placing them on the market, both to
check that they comply with the respective st andards and to ensure their safety for humans,
animals and the environment.          
7. Objective and rationale: [  X ] food safety,  [  X ] animal health,  [  X ] plant protection,
[    ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [     ] protect territory from
other damage from pests           
8. International standard, guideline or recommendation:
[    ] Codex Alimentarius Commission,  [    ] Office International des Epizooties,
[    ] International Plant Protection Convention,  [ X ] None
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate
reference and briefly identify deviations:           G/SPS/N/FRA/4
Page 2
9. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:
Customs Code, in particular Article 38;
Consumer Code, in particular Article L214-1;
Rural Code, in particular Article L255-2;
Decree No. 80-478 of 16 June 1980 implementing the Law of 1 August 1905 on fraud
prevention with regard to fertilizing substances and growing media, in particular Article 8;
Order of 8 December 1982 on technical procedures for official inspections and checks to be
carried out by parties responsible for placing products on the market.
All of the above documents are available in French.
10. Proposed date of adoption:  July 2003          
11. Proposed date of entry into force:  From the date the text is adopted.
12. Final date for comments:  Three months after notification .          
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [  X ] National notification
authority, [     ] National enquiry point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (if
available) of other body:           
13. Texts available from:  [  X ] National notification authority, [  X] National enquiry
point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:
Ministry of Agriculture, Food, Fisheries and Rural Affairs
Directorate-General of Food and Nutrition
Department of Plant Protection and Quality
251, rue de Vaugirard
75732 PARIS Cedex 15
odile.petit@agriculture.gouv.fr
Tel: 01 49 55 81 41
Fax: 01 49 55 59 49