G/TBT/N/FRA/195  
30 October  2020 
(20-7611) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original:  French  
 
  
NOTIFICATION  
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6.  
 
1. Notifying Member : FRANCE  
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):  
2. Agency responsible:  
Ministère de la transition écologique et solidaire  (Ministry for the Ecological and 
Inclusive Transition)  
Commissariat au développement durable  (Commission for Sustainable Development)  
Service de l'économie verte et solidaire  (Solidarity and Green Economy Service)  
Tour Sé quoïa  
92055 Paris -La Défense Cedex  
France  
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers, email and website 
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) : Electrica l 
and electronic equipment for consumers : large household appliances, small household 
appliances, IT and telecommunications equipment, consumer equipment, electrical and 
electronic tools  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document : Décret relatif à 
l'indice de réparabilité des équipements électriques et électroniques  (Decree relating to 
the repairability index of electrical and electronic equipment)  
6. Description of content : The repairability index consists of a score out of 10 int ended to 
be displayed at the time of purchase to inform consumers of the categories of electrical 
and electronic products . This score is obtained by dividing an overall score of 100 points 
by 10 according to five criteria, each scored out of 20 and of equa l weight, making it 
possible to assess the repairability of the products concerned . These criteria are as 
follows : documentation provided by the manufacturer, ease of disassembly of the 
product, availability of spare parts, relationship between the price o f the most expensive 
spare part and the price of the original product, usage counter (optional) or other criteria 
specific to the category of products concerned . The Decree covers all electrical and 
electronic equipment intended for consumers . For each cat egory of electrical and 
electronic equipment, an order of the Minister for the Environment and the Minister for 
the Economy and Finance shall specify all of the criteria and sub -criteria including criteria 
specific to the category as well as the methods of  calculating the index . The Decree 
nonetheless provides for gradual implementation, starting with the following categories 
of products : washing machines, smartphones, laptops, televisions, electric lawn mowers 
(battery, corded, robot) . Producers, importers , or other parties placing electrical and 
electronic equipment on the market shall be required to calculate the index for the 
categories of products concerned, and to make this information available . The Decree G/TBT/N/FRA/195  
- 2 - 
  includes the dates and procedures for its ent ry into force . An umbrella order shall be 
promulgated to specify the display methods, markings and general parameters for 
calculating the repairability index . Orders shall be promulgated to specify the more 
specific methods of application for each category of products.  
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable : Directive (EU) 2018/851 on waste encourages Member States to take 
appropriate measures to prevent waste generation . In addition, one of the objecti ves of 
the European action plan for the circular economy (COM (2020) 98) is to improve the 
durability and repairability of products . The stakeholder consultation held in the context 
of the Roadmap for the circular economy, which was presented by the Govern ment on 2 3 
April 2 018, resulted in measure No. 10, which provides for mandatory information on the 
repairability of electrical and electronic products . The measure aims to promote 
responsible consumption by improving consumer information through the establ ishment 
and mandatory display of a simple repairability index for some of these products . This 
index aims to inform the consumer regarding how easy it is to repair the product 
concerned . This measure thus aims on the one hand to compensate for the asymmetr y 
of information between consumers and manufacturers or distributors concerning the 
repairability of products and, on the other hand, to encourage manufacturers to integrate 
repairability criteria into the design of their products, thus tending towards pro ducts that 
are more durable because they are more robust because they are 'eco-designed '. With 
this measure, a reasonable ambition is to reduce breakdowns of electrical and electronic 
products giving rise to repair in the network of French repairers to 60% , within five years, 
as compared to around 40% today . From an environmental standpoint, this measure will 
allow France to pursue its national objective of reducing the resource consumption linked 
to French consumption : to reduce resource consumption relati ve to GDP by 30% 
compared to 2010, by 2030 (Law No 2015 -992). More repairable and therefore more 
durable products will effectively lead to a reduction in resource consumption (reduction 
in the need for new products), a reduction in the quantity of waste el ectrical and electronic 
products and an associated reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.  
8. Relevant documents : - 
9. Proposed date of adoption : December 2 020 
Proposed date of entry into force : 1 January 2 021 
10. Final date for comments : 60 days from the date of notification  
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [ ] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and email and website addresses, if available, of other body:  
CINORTECH  
AFNOR  
11 avenue Francis de Pressensé  
93571 SAINT -DENIS - LA PLAINE Cedex  
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2020/TBT/FRA/20_6399_00_f.pdf