G/TBT/N/FRA/183  
16 March  2018 
(18-1601) 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 de l'Agriculture et de l'Alimentation - Direction Générale de l'Alimentation - 
SASPP - Sous-direction de la qualité, de la Santé et de la protection des végétaux  (Ministry 
of Agriculture and Food - Directorate -General of Food and Nutrition - Service for Health 
Interventions in Primary Production (SASPP) - Sub-Directorate for Plant Quality, Health 
and Protection)  
251, rue de Vaugirard - 75732 PARIS cedex 15  
Email: sdqspv.dgal@agriculture.gouv.fr  
Tel.: 01 49 55 81 57  
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) : Basic 
mineral and organic soil conditioners - fertilizers  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document : Arrêté modifiant 
l'arrêté du 5 septembre 2003 portant mise en application obligatoire de  normes (Order 
amending the Order of 5 September 2 003 establishing the mandatory implementation of 
standards)  
The Order consists of 4 pages, and the two standards comprise 42 and 19 pages (71 in 
total).  
6. Description of content : The notified Order provides for the mandatory implementation of 
two standards : This measure constitutes an exemption from the marketing authorization 
referred to in Article L255 -2 of the Rural and Maritime Fisheries Code, and set out in Article 
L 255 -5. 
Standard NF U 44 -001 - Basic mineral soil conditioners - Designations and specifications, 
sets out the designations, specifications and marking of basic mineral soil conditioners . It 
is compliant with the regulatory framework laid down by the regulations in force.  It is 
aimed particularly at producers, users and official inspection bodies . This standard replaces 
the 2009 standard.  
The amendments include : an update to Annex C (trace element content of basic mineral 
soil conditioners found through analyses conducted during the pe riod 2001 -2010) ; the 
introduction of the option to declare the calcium and magnesium content in their elemental 
forms Ca and Mg ; the amendment of the definition of neutralising value and introduction of 
the option to declare the neutralising value in its H O equivalent ; and the introduction of a G/TBT/N/FRA/183  
- 2 - 
  maximum of 5% organic matter in specifications for all basic mineral soil conditioners, with 
a combustion method at 450 °C (15% for sugar lime).  
Standard NF U 44 -295 - Organic soil conditioner - Fertilisers - Compost  containing matter 
of agronomic interest derived from water treatment with a P2O5 content greater than or 
equal to 3% . This standard reproduces the requirements which have been in force since 
2014 under standard NF U 44 -095, which deals with compost contai ning matter of 
agronomic interest derived from water treatment but in which N < 3% on crude product, 
P2O5 < 3% on crude product, K2O < 3% on crude product and (N + P2O5 + K2O) < 7% 
on crude product.  
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable : The standards on fertilizing substances and growing media seek to facilitate 
the marketing of known products.  
The implementation of these standards has been made mandatory for public health 
reasons . Standard NF U44 -001 annuls and replaces the 2009 standard in the same 
domain, which has become obsolete . A new standard has therefore been created, which 
covers products that are very similar to those covered by another mandatory standard 
already in force.  
8. Relevant docume nts: Articles L 255 -1 et suivants du code rural et de la pêche maritime ; 
normes NF U 44 -001 de 2009 et norme NF U 44 -095 (2014) (Articles L 255 -1 et seq. of 
the Rural and Maritime Fisheries Code : Standards NF U 44 -001 of 2009 and NF U 44 -095 
(2014))  
9. Proposed date of adoption : 1 June 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  
 
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