G/TBT/N/FRA/179  
11 October  2017 
(17-5452) 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) of a weight exceeding 800g  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document : Décret relatif à la 
limitation de capacités des aéronefs civils circulant san s personne à bord  (Decree on the 
capacity limitation of civilian unmanned aerial vehicles), (5 pages, in French)  
6. Description of content : This draft order aims to supplement, in order to guarantee public 
safety and State security, French legislation co ncerning civilian unmanned aerial vehicles 
(UAVs), i.e. the Order of 1 7 December 2 015 on the design of civilian UAVs, the conditions 
for their use and the skills required by those using them, and the Order of 
17 December  2015 on the use of airspace by UAVs , as amended on 3 0 March 2 017. 
The technical requirements contained in this draft Decree aim to ensure that drones will, in 
time, have a capacity limitation device that prevents them from flying above a maximum 
altitude . This will prevent drones from wandering off -course and, in particular, recreational 
drones from deliberately flying into airspace used by manned aircraft, as well as prevent 
drones from getting close to sensitive sites by flying covertly, because at a significant 
height, these behaviou rs are likely to constitute an attack on State security.  
However, drones registered before 1 July 2 018, under Article L.6111 -1 of the Transport 
Code, may alternatively be equipped (as from 1 January 2 019) with a function that alerts 
the remote pilot when t he drone is reaching maximal altitude.  
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 répo nses possibles de l'État " ("The rise in civilian G/TBT/N/FRA/179  
- 2 - 
  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 2 4 October 2 016 
(Law No 2016 -1428) . It imposes new obligations on pilots, owners or manufacturers of 
civilian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) . These are intended to prevent incidents posing a 
risk to State security, and make pilots accountable.  
The aim of the draft Decree is to implement th e obligation stipulating that unmanned 
civilian aircraft exceeding a threshold laid down by way of a decree must be equipped with 
a capacity limiting device.  
The draft decree also describes the exceptions authorized, and the penalties for failure to 
have t he mandatory equipment, and applicability overseas.  
8. Relevant documents : Law 2016 -1428 of 2 4 October 2 016 introduced Article L6214 -4 into 
the Transport Code . The notified text is enacted under this Article.  
9. Proposed date of adoption : 31 December 2 017 
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:  
See point 2.  
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2017/T BT/FRA/17_4596_00_f.pdf