G/TBT/N/FRA/185  
3 April 2018  
(18-2018) 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 des solidarités et de la santé  (Ministry of Solidarity and Health), Direction 
générale de la santé  (Directorate -General of Health)  
Sous-direction prévention des risques liés à l'environnement et à l'alimentation 
(Sub-Directorate for the Prevention of Environmental and Food -related Risks)  
Bureau environnement extérieur et produits chimiques  (Office of the External Environment 
and Chemical Products) (EA1)  
14 avenue Duquesne 75350 PARIS 07 SP  
delphine.caamano@sante.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 nati onal tariff 
heading . ICS numbers may be provided in addition where applicable) : Radio 
equipment for which manufacturers are required to measure the specific absorption rate 
(SAR).  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document : Projet d'arrêté 
modifiant l'Arrêté du 8 octobre 2003 relatif à l'information des consommateurs sur les 
équipements terminaux radioélectriques pris en application de l'article R. 20 -10 du code 
des postes et des télécommunications, l'Arrêté du 8 octobre 2003 fixant  des spécifications 
techniques applicables aux équipements terminaux radioélectriques et l'Arrêté du 
12 octobre 2010 relatif à l'affichage du débit d'absorption spécifique des équipements 
terminaux radioélectriques  (Draft order amending the Order of 8 Octo ber 2 003 on 
consumer information regarding radio terminal equipment issued pursuant to Article 
R. 20-10 of the Postal and Telecommunications Code, the Order of 8 October 2 003 setting 
out the technical specifications applicable to radio terminal equipment a nd the Order of 
12 October 2 010 on the displaying of the specific absorption rate of radio terminal 
equipment) (3 pages, in French)  
6. Description of content : The purpose of the draft order is to specify the practical methods 
of communicating to consumer s the SAR value of radio equipment subject to a measuring 
obligation, i.e. indicating the SAR value in the instructions for use, updating the usage 
recommendations for the radio equipment in the instructions for use, and methods of 
displaying information a t points of sale and in all advertisements.  
Radio equipment with an output of more than 20 mW that is likely to be used in a 
reasonably foreseeable manner near the head or at a distance of 20 cm or less from the 
human body may only be put into service if i t meets these technical specifications.  G/TBT/N/FRA/185  
- 2 - 
  7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable : As stated in Article 10(8) of Directive 2014/53/EU of the European Parliament 
and of the Council of 1 6 April 2 014 on the harmonization of the laws of the Member States 
relating to the making available on the market of radio equipment, "manufacturers shall 
ensure that the radio equipment is accompanied by instructions and safety information in a 
language which can be easily u nderstood by consumers and other end -users, as 
determined by the Member State concerned."  
In addition, the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and 
Safety (ANSES) published, in October 2 013, an update of its expert appraisal on radio 
frequencies and health . This takes into account the health assessments carried out by 
expert working groups convened by the International Agency for Research on Cancer 
(IARC), which were published in October 2 013 in volume 102 "Monographs on the 
evaluation of carcinogenic risks to humans : radiofrequency electromagnetic fields", and 
recommends in particular that exposure be reduced by encouraging the moderate use of 
mobile phones and the use of hands -free kits and the weakest SAR mobile terminals.  
The measure is justified from a public health perspective, as the SAR is currently the only 
information on electromagnetic field exposure that can be provided to consumers.  
8. Relevant documents : Loi n° 2015 -136 du 9 février 2015 relative à la sobriété, à la 
transparence, à l'information et à la concertation en matière d'exposition aux ondes 
électromagnétiques  (Law No. 2015-136 of 9 February 2 015 on restraint, transparency, 
information and dialogue regarding exposure to electromagnetic waves)  
9. Proposed date of adoption : 1 July 2 018 
Proposed date of entry into force : 1 July 2 018  
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/2018/TBT/FRA/18_1841_00_f.pdf