G/TBT/N/FRA/161
4 February 2015
(15-0761)  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: Ministère de la santé, Direction générale de la santé, bureau MC2  
(Ministry of Health, Directorate-General of Health, Office MC2) 
Name and address (including telephon e 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): Tobacco 
products 
5. Title, number of pages and lang uage(s) of the notified document: Arrêté modifiant 
l'Arrêté du 15 avril 2010 relatif aux modalités d'inscription des avertissements de caractère 
sanitaire sur les unités de conditionnement des produits du tabac et insérant un pictogramme destiné aux femmes enceintes  (Order amending the Order of 15 April 2010 
regarding the conditions for the use of health warnings on tobacco packages and inserting 
a pictogram for pregnant women) (9 pages) 
6. Description of content: This order seeks to: 
• Transpose into national law the principle of the enlargement of health warnings on 
tobacco packages, as laid down in Directive 2014/40/EU; 
• Insert into supplementary health warnings (under Directive 2001/37/EC) a reference 
to the " Grossesse sans tabac " (tobacco-free pregnancy) page set up by the National 
Institute for Prevention and Health Education on the website http://www.tabac-info-
service.fr/ . G/TBT/N/FRA/161 
- 2 - 
  7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable: With 17.8% of women stating that they smoked during the third trimester of 
their pregnancy in 2010, France has the highest percentage of women in Europe who 
continue to smoke during their pregnancy, despite the health risks that this tobacco consumption has on pregnancy and on the health of the child (heightened risks of complications, intrauterine growth retardation, congenital malformations, sudden death 
and asthma). 
The insertion of the pictogram therefore aims to inform female consumers of the 
programme to help pregnant women stop smoking (" Grossesse sans tabac " page), on the 
website http://www.tabac-info-service.fr/  (website referred to in the health warning). 
The insertion of this pictogram, in accordance with Article 4(5) of the Commission Decision 
of 5 September 2003 on the use of colour photographs and other illustrations as health 
warnings on tobacco packages (C(2003) 3184), aims to lower the proportion of pregnant 
women who smoke during their pregnancy.  
8. Relevant documents:  
• Directive 2001/37/EC 
• Directive 2014/40/EU 
• Article 4(5) of the Commission Decision of 5 September 2003 on the use of colour 
photographs and other illustrations as health warnings on tobacco packages (C(2003) 3184) 
• Article L. 3511-6 of the Public Health Code  
9. Proposed date of adoption: Around 1 May 2015 
Proposed date of entry into force: Article 1: the day after publication; Article 2: 20 
May 2016.  
10. Final date for comments: - 
11. Texts available from: National enquiry point [ ] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and email and website addresse s, if available, of other body:  
National enquiry point: 
CINORTECH 
AFNOR 
11 avenue Francis de Pressensé 93571 Saint-Denis-La Plaine Cedex 
https://members.wto.org/crnattachme nts/2015/TBT/FRA/15_0634_00_f.pdf