. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/TBT/N/FRA/74 
10 January 2008 
 (08-0114) 
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'écologie, du développement et de l'aménagement durables  – DGUHC – QC1  
(Ministry of Ecology and Sustainable Development – Directorate General of Town Planning, Housing and Construction – QC1) 
La Grande Arche – Paroi Sud 
92055 La Défense Cedex 
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):   Building shell 
components, heating systems, domestic hot wate r systems, cooling systems, equipment for 
generating energy using renewable energy sources, ventilation systems, lighting systems. 
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:   Arrêté relatif à la 
performance énergétique des bâtiments exist ants de surface supérieure à 1000 m², lorsque 
ils font l'objet de travaux  de rénovation importants (Order on the energy performance of 
existing buildings with a surface area exceeding 1,000 m² which are subject to major renovation work) (47 pages, in French). 
6. Description of content:   The notified draft Order sets forth the regulatory requirements 
applicable to existing buildings on which renovation work is carri ed out.  It covers buildings 
with a surface area exceeding 1,000 m² which are subject to major renovation work costing 
more than 25 per cent of the value of the building, excluding land.  The text covers work 
that affects the energy performance of buildings, i.e. which involves the following elements: building shell components, heating systems, do mestic hot water systems, cooling systems, 
equipment for generating energy using renewa ble energy sources, ventilation systems and 
lighting systems. 
 In such cases, with regard to overall pe rformance, the energy consumption of the 
renovated building must not exceed certain maximum consumption thresholds.  Minimum 
requirements covering a number of elements are also specified.  Lastly, the renovation work must ensure that the building is comfortable in summer. G/TBT/N/FRA/74 
Page 2  
 
  7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where
applicable:  
 Reducing energy consumption and C02 emis sions in the construction industry, in 
accordance with Directive 2002/91/EC of 16 D ecember 2002 on the energy performance of 
buildings, involves significantly improving the energy performance of existing buildings, 
which means reducing their energy consumption in  respect of heating systems, domestic hot 
water systems and cooling, ve ntilation and lighting systems. 
 Improving energy performance may be easier, and cheaper, when work involving 
the building shell and heating and cooling syst ems etc. has already been envisaged by the 
owner of an existing building.  The  purpose of these regulations is therefore to impose a 
minimum level of energy performance when major work is undertaken by the building's 
owners, insofar as it is technically and econom ically feasible and taking into account the 
cost-effectiveness of the measures. 
 The purpose of the draft Order is to define  the level of performance to be attained 
by the building taking into account the extent of the renovation work undertaken.  To attain 
this level of performance, several different combinations of work may be carried out 
according to the possibilities that exist for perfo rming work on the different elements of the 
building. 
8. Relevant documents:   Directive 2002/91/EC of 16 December 2002 on the energy 
performance of buildings. 
Code de la construction et de l'habitation  (Building and housing code), Articles L. 111-10, 
L. 131-1, L. 134-1, L. 134-4 and L.271-4 to L. 271-6, and Articles R. 131-25 and R. 131-26 
9. Proposed date of adoption: 
Proposed date of entry into force:  March 2008 
April 2008 
10. Final date for comments:   - 
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [  X ] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers, E-mail and website addresses,  if available, of other body:  
Ministère de l'écologie, du développement et  
de l'aménagement durables – DGUHC – QC1 
La Grande Arche - Paroi Sud  92055 La Défense Cedex    National enquiry point: 
CINORTECH 
AFNOR 11 avenue Francis de Pressensé 93571 Saint Denis La Plaine Cedex