. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/TBT/N/FRA/49 
24 November 2005 
 (05-5572) 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original:   French 
  
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
The following notification is being circ ulated in accordance with Article 10.6. 
 
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   FRANCE
 
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):         
2. Agency responsible:         
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers, e-mail and web-site 
addresses, if available) of  agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be  indicated if different from above:    
Ministère de la santé et des solidarités 
Direction générale de la santé Sous-direction Santé et société Bureau des pratiques addictives  (Ministry of Health and Solidarities 
Directorate-General of Health 
Sub-Directorate of Health and Society Office dealing with addictions) 
14, avenue Duquesne 
75350 PARIS 07 SP       
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):    
 Alcoholic beverages.      
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:   Draft order on criteria 
for the labelling of health warning messag es on alcoholic be verage containers 
recommending that pregnant women should abstain from alcohol consumption (2 pages).      
6. Description of content:   Within the framework of the Law of 11 February 2005 on the 
rights of persons with disabilities, a new provi sion was adopted to improve information to 
the public, and in particular pregnant women,  on the risks of alcohol consumption to the 
foetus. G/TBT/N/FRA/49 
Page 2  
 
 6. Description of content:   (cont'd) 
 Article L.3322-2 of the public health code thus provides that all alcoholic beverage 
packaging must bear a health warning mes sage recommending that pregnant women should 
abstain from the consumption of alcohol, in  accordance with the conditions established 
under the Order issued by the Minister responsible for health. 
 This draft order aims at setting the prac tical criteria for labelling alcoholic beverage 
containers with the health warning message.      
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where applicable:    
 Foetal alcoholism is the main cause of non-genetic mental disability in children.  
This measure is therefore appropriate for this draft law.  Out of 750,000 births annually in 
France, approximately 3,000 infants are born with foetal alcoholism syndrome (FAS). 
 This situation is not acceptable because  such disabilities are avoidable.  The only 
way to prevent these disabilities is through abstinence from alcohol consumption during 
pregnancy.  This approach is strongly re commended by the World Health Organization. 
 This regulation incorporates the following: 
- The Law of 9 August 2004 relating to public health policy already 
places an obligation on secondary schools at all levels to provide 
information on the health risks associated with the consumption of 
alcohol during pregnancy.  This law also provides for training of all health professionals and medical social workers in the effects of alcohol on the foetus; 
- in 2004 and 2005, the first media campaign on the prevention of 
foetal alcoholism syndrome was launched in women's magazines 
and the general press.  Epidemio logical monitoring of foetal 
alcoholism syndrome is under way:  as a result, screening for foetal alcoholism syndrome will be routinely carried out by doctors at the follow-up visit when a health certificate is issued on the eighth day after birth. 
8. Relevant documents:   - 
9. Proposed date of adoption:  - 
Proposed date of entry into force:    
End of January 2006 
10. Final date for comments:   28 January 2006 
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [  X ] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers, e-mail and web-site addresses, if available of the other body:        
CINORTECH 
AFNOR 
11 avenue Francis de Pressensé 93571 SAINT-DENIS – LA PLAINE Cedex