. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/TBT/N/FRA/67 
12 September 2007 
 (07-3812) 
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:  
Ministère de l’économie, des finances et de l’industrie  (Ministry of the Economy, Finance 
and Industry) Direction générale des entreprises , DGE (Directorate-General for Enterprises)/ Direction de 
l'action régionale, de la qualité  et de la sécurité industrielle , DARQSI (Directorate for 
Regional Action, Quality and Industrial Safety)/ Sous-direction de la normalisation, de la 
qualité et de la propriété industrielle , SQUALPI (Sub-Directorate of Standardization, 
Quality and Industrial Property) 12, Rue Villiot  
75572 PARIS CEDEX 12 
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers and E-mail 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):  
 Toys 
5. Title, number of pages and lang uage(s) of the notified document:   Projet d’avis aux 
fabricants, importateurs et distributeurs rel atif à l’application du décret n° 89-662 du 
12 septembre 1989 modifié,  relatif à la prévention des risques résultant de l’usage des 
jouets  (Draft notice to manufacturers, importers  and distributors with regard to the 
implementation of Decree No. 89- 662 of 12 September 1989 (amended)  on the prevention 
of risks arising from the use of toys) (2 pages, in French). 
6. Description of content:   This draft notice contains a recommendation to professionals that 
toys containing magnets which could be ingested  carry a specific mark drawing attention to 
the dangers of magnets if swallowed by ch ildren.  This recommendation will enter into 
force on 1 January 2008. G/TBT/N/FRA/67 
Page 2  
 
  6. Description of content:   (cont'd) 
 To take account of the fact that toy purchases will be concentrated during the end-
of-year holiday period, the notice also requires that, as of 1 November 2007, signs be placed at sales outlets, close to the toys in ques tion, providing potential purchasers with such 
information.  Finally, it establishes that toys for children under the age of three must not, in 
any case, be made of small elements which could be ingested, whether magnets or 
otherwise. 
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where applicable:  
 In recent years, children have suffere d very serious injuries as a result of 
swallowing magnets from toys.  This situation has brought to light the inadequacy of existing toy standards.  The European Comm ission has therefore issued a mandate dated 
25 May 2007 to the European Committee for Standardization (CEN), requesting that it 
complete these standards within two years.  In the meantime, measures must be taken to 
prevent further accidents. 
8. Relevant documents:   Decree No. 89-662 of 12 September 1989 on the prevention of risks 
arising from the use of toys. 
9. Proposed date of adoption: 
  
Proposed date of entry into force:  As soon as possible and in any case before the 
end of September 2007, given the urgency of this matter. 
1 November 2007 and 1 January 2008 
10. Final date for comments:   As soon as possible 
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [  X ] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers, E-mail and website addresses,  if available, of other body:  
National enquiry point CINORTECH 
AFNOR 11 avenue Francis de Pressensé 93571 – Saint Denis – La Plaine Cedex