G/TBT/N/FRA/155  
31 January 2014  
(14-0545)  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 governme nt involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):   
2. Agency responsible:  
Direction Générale de l'Aménagement, du Logement et de la Nature (Directorate-General 
for Planning, Housing and Nature) Direction de l'Habitat, de l'Urbanisme et des Paysages (Housing, Urban Planning and 
Landscape Department) 
Sous-Direction de la Qualité et du Développement Durable dans la Construction (Unit for 
Quality and Sustainable Development in Construction) Bureau de la Qualité Technique et de la Réglementation Technique de la Construction  
(Office for the Technical Quality and Technical Regulation of Construction) 
Arche Sud - 92055 LA DEFENSE cedex France 
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers and 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 wher e applicable, otherwise national tariff 
heading. ICS numbers may be provided  in addition where applicable): All building 
shell components. 
5. Title, number of pages and lang uage(s) of the notified document: Règles Th-Bât: 
Règles professionnelles permettant de déterminer les caractéristiques des matériaux 
nécessaires à la réalisation d'une étude thermique réglementaire dans le cadre d'un 
projet de construction de bâtiment neuf  (Th-Bât rules: Professional rules for determining 
the characteristics of materials with a view to conducting a regulatory thermal study as 
part of a project for the construction of a new building) (245 pages, in French) 
6. Description of content: The Order of 26 October 2010 concerning the thermal 
characteristics of and energy performance requirements for new buildings and new parts 
of buildings establishes a limit on energy consumption in new buildings for five types of appliance, a limit on energy requirements in  terms of heating, cooling and artificial 
lighting, and a summertime discomfort limit.  The Order of 30 April 2013 approves the 
regulatory calculation method used to determine the three above-mentioned indicators in respect of new buildings subject to these regulations. 
The draft text makes it possible to determine the thermal characteristics of building shell 
components where such characteristics are necessary for the use of the Th-BCE method. G/TBT/N/FRA/155 
- 2 - 
  7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable: The Framework Law of 13 July 2005 outl ining French energy policy seeks to 
reduce CO2 emissions from the building sect or by 75% by 2050. The Law of 3 August 
2009 concerning the implementation of the results of the Environmental Round Table 
(Grenelle de l'environnement ) supplemented and clarified targets for the energy 
performance of new buildings. It most notably sets the target of reducing the average 
annual energy consumption of new buildings to 50 kWh/m2. Thermal regulation 
requirements must therefore be enhanced so as to reduce energy consumption and 
resulting inequalities and improve household purchasing power. It must be ensured that 
all new buildings attain a very high energy performance level, therefore consuming very 
low levels of energy, with a view to complying with the "positive energy" concept in 2020. Within the framework of the transposition of Directive 2010/31/EU of 19 May 2010 on the 
energy performance of buildings, the regula tory methods used to calculate the energy 
performance of new buildings must be spec ified. In order to quantify the energy 
performance of a building, it s normal energy consumption must be estimated using a 
calculation method that makes it possible to assess the energy consumption of buildings 
in normal conditions of use. Common rules are also needed to characterize the 
performance of the building shell components used in construction projects.  
8. Relevant documents:  
- Directive 2010/31/EU of 19 May 2010 on th e energy performance of buildings; 
- Loi n° 2009-967 du 3 août 2009 de programmation relative à la mise en œuvre du 
Grenelle de l'environnement  (Law No. 2009-967 of 3 August 2009 concerning the 
implementation of the results of the Environmental Round Table); 
- Code de la construction et de l'habitation  (Building and housing code) (Articles L. 111-9 
and R. 111-20); 
- Décret du 26 octobre 2010 relatif aux caractéristiques thermiques et à la performance 
énergétique des constructions  (Decree of 26 October 2010 concerning the thermal 
characteristics and energy performance of buildings); 
- Arrêté du 26 octobre 2010 relatif aux caractéristiques thermiques et aux exigences de 
performance énergétique des bâtiments nouvea ux et des parties nouvelles de bâtiments  
(Order of 26 October 2010 concerning the thermal characteristics of and energy 
performance requirements for new buildings and new parts of buildings); 
- Arrêté du 30 avril 2013 portant approbation de la méthode de calcul Th-BCE 2012 
prévue aux articles 4, 5 et 6 de l'arrêté du 26 octobre 2010 relatif aux caractéristiques 
thermiques et aux exigences de performance énergétique des bâtiments nouveaux et des 
parties nouvelles de bâtiments  (Order of 30 April 2013 approving the Th-BCE 2012 
calculation method provided for in Articles 4, 5 and 6 of the Order of 26 October 2010 
concerning the thermal characteristics of and energy performance requirements for new 
buildings and new parts of buildings).  
9. Proposed date of adoption:  
Proposed date of entry into force:    1 May 2014 
Mid-May 2014 
10. Final date for comments: 60 days from the date of notification. 
11. Text available from: National enquiry point [ ] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and email and website addresse s, if available, of other body:  
CINORTECH 
AFNOR 
11 avenue Francis de Pressensé 
93571 SAINT-DENIS - LA PLAINE Cedex 
http://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2014/TBT/FRA/14_0426_00_f.PDF