G/TBT/N/FRA/187  
30 May 2018  
(18-3218) 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 des entreprises , SEN/SDCEP (Directorate -General of Enterprises)  
Bureau de la réglementation des communications électroniques  (Office for the Regulation 
of Electronic Communications)  
67 rue Barbès, 92401  Ivry-sur-Seine Cedex  
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) : Unmanned 
civilian aircraft (drones)  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document : Arrêté définissant 
les caractéristiques techniques des dispositifs de signalement électronique et de 
signalement lumineux des aéronefs circulant sans personne à bord  (Order laying down th e 
technical characteristics for electronic signalling and optical warning devices for unmanned 
aircraft) (6 pages, in French)  
6. Description of content : This text defines the method and form of transferring the data 
mentioned in point I of Article L . 34-9-2 of the Postal and Electronic C ommunications Code . 
The transfer protocol complies with standard IEEE 802.11.  
It also defines the technical characteristics of optical signalling devices, indicating, in 
particular, the prescribed colours, the signalling c ode and the light visibility requirements.  
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 civilian 
aerial drones in France : challenges and possible responses from the State"), pub lished in 
October 2 015. 
The law was finally adopted by the French Parliament and enacted on 2 4 October 2 016 
(Law No. 2016-1428).  
It introduced a provision into the Postal and Electronic C ommunications Code requiring 
owners or pilots of unmanned aircraft travelling over French territory of a weight equal to 
or greater than 800g to equip the aircraft with an electronic or digital signalling device and G/TBT/N/FRA/187  
- 2 - 
  an optical warning device . The purpose o f the notified draft text is to enable users to bring 
themselves into conformity with the regulatory requirements and to meet their new 
obligations.  
8. Relevant documents : Law 2016 -1428 of 2 4 October 2 016  
9. Proposed date of adoption : July 2 018 
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:  
Direction générale des entreprises, SEN/SDCEP  
Bureau de la réglementation des communications électroniques  
67 rue Barbès, 92401 Ivry -sur-Seine Cedex  
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2018/TBT/FRA/18_2739_00_f.pdf