G/TBT/N/FRA/174  
27 September  2017 
(17-5128) 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:  
Direction générale de l'aviation civile  (Directorate -General for Civil Aviation)  
Direction de la sécurité de l'aviation civile (Directorate for Civil Aviation Security)  
50 rue Henry Farman  
75720 PARIS Cedex 15  
philippe.aurade@aviation -civile.gouv.fr  
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) : Civilian 
unmanned aerial vehicles (drones)  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document : Décret relatif aux 
seuils de masse prévus par la Loi n° 2016 -1428 du 24 octobre 2016 relative au 
renforc ement de la sécurité de l'usage des drones civils  (Decree on the weight thresholds 
stipulated by Law No 2016 -1428 of 2 4 October 2 016 on improving safety measures when 
using civilian drones) (3 pages, in French)  
6. Description of content : This draft Decre e therefore aims to set an identical weight 
threshold at 800 g, pursuant to Article L6111 -1(II) and Articles L6214 -2, L6214 -4 and 
L6214 -5 of the Transport Code, and draft Articles R. 114 -1, R. 136 -5, R. 137 -2 and 
R. 138-1 of the Civil Aviation Code.  
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable : As a result of the increasing number of drones illegally flying over sensitive 
sites on French territory since autumn 2014, two parliamentarians submitted, in spring 
2016, a  proposed law on improving safety measures when using civilian drones . In 
particular, this draft followed the Government report to Parliament entitled " L'essor des 
drones aériens civils en France : enjeux et réponses possibles de l'État " ("The rise in civil ian 
aerial drones in France : challenges and possible responses from the State"), published in 
October 2 015. The law was finally adopted by the French Parliament and enacted on 
24 October 2 016 (Law No 2016 -1428) . This law added Articles L6111 -1, L6214 -2, L6214-4 
and L6214 -5 to the Transport Code, requiring owners or pilots of unmanned aircraft that 
travel over French territory and are of a weight equal to or greater than a threshold set by 
this Decree (which may not exceed 800 g) to register their aircraft, equip it with an audible 
warning and capacity limitation device, and take theoretical training.  G/TBT/N/FRA/174  
- 2 - 
  8. Relevant documents : Loi 2016 -1428 du 24 octobre 2016 (Law 2016 -1428 of 
24 October  2016)  
9. Proposed date of adoption : 31 December 2 017 
Proposed date of entry into force : The day following publication in the Official Journal 
(Journal officiel de la République française )  
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:  
See point 2.  
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2017/T BT/FRA/17_4307_00_f.pdf