. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/TBT/N/FRA/103 
4 June 2009 
 (09-2684) 
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'agriculture et de la pêche  (Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries) 
Direction générale de l'alimentation  (Directorate-General of Food and Nutrition) 
Service de la prévention des risques sanitaires de la production primaire  
(Service for the Prevention of Health Risks in Primary Production) 
Sous-direction de la qualité et de la protection des végétaux  
(Department of Plant Protection and Quality) 
251 rue de Vaugirard 75732 PARIS cedex 15 
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):  
- Fertilizer for mineral nutrient solutions 
- Designations and specifications - Basic mineral amendments – Designations and specifications 
5. Title, number of pages and lang uage(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 2003 est ablishing the mandatory implementation of 
Standards) (2 pages).  The Standards in question are Standards NF U 42-004 and NF U 44-001. 
6. Description of content:   The notified Order provides for the mandatory implementation of 
new Standards NF U 42-004, approved by the French Standards Association (AFNOR) in July 2008, and NF U 44-001, approved by AFNOR in April 2009.  Standard NF U 42-004 of July 2008 concerns the designations and specifications for 
fertilizer for mineral nutrient solutions and re places Standard NF U 42- 004 of August 1996.  
The new Standard maintains, unchanged, the mineral nutrient solutions requiring dilution 
that are found in the previous Standard a nd introduces a new category for ready-to-use 
nutrient solutions.  G/TBT/N/FRA/103 
Page 2  
 
  Standard NF U 44-001 of April 2009 replaces and consolidates Standard NF U 44-001 of 
February 2001 and its addenda A1 of Apr il 1998 and A2 of July 2003, and makes 
clarifications, amendments and additions to th e previous standard in respect of types and 
methods of obtention. 
7. Objective and rationale, including the na ture of urgent problems where applicable:  
Standards dealing with fertilizing substan ces and growing media seek to facilitate the 
marketing of known products.  Such Standard s are mandatory for public health reasons. 
8. Relevant documents:  
Standard NF U 42-004 (August 1996);  Standard  NF U 44-001 (February 2001);  Standard 
NF U 44-001/A1 (April 1998);  Standard NF U 44-001/A2 (July 2003) 
9. Proposed date of adoption: 
Proposed date of entry into force: } September 2009 
10. Final date for comments:   August 2009 
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 
Also available:  here