. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/TBT/N/FRA/93 
16 December 2008 
 (08-6156) 
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:  
Direction générale de la concurrence, de la  consommation et de la répression des frauds  
(Directorate-General for Competition, C onsumer Affairs and Fraud Prevention) 
Bureau E3 
59 boulevard Vincent Auriol 
Télédoc 241 75703 Paris Cedex 13 Tel.: 01 44 97 31 17 Fax: 01 44 97 06 51 
E-mail: e3@dgccrf.finances.gouv.fr 
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers and 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:  
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):   Raw materials and 
semi-manufactured or manufactur ed products made entirely or partly of leather or of 
materials with the appearance of leather, excluding footwear and personal protective equipment. 
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:   Décret portant 
application du code de la consommation en ce qui concerne les produits en cuir et 
similaires du cuir  (Decree relating to the implementation of the Consumer Code in respect 
of products made of leather and similar materials) (4 pages) 
6. Description of content:   The notified draft Decree repeals the Decree of 18 February 1986 
relating to trade in products made of leather and similar materials with a view to updating 
its provisions: 
- Under the draft Decree, operators may put th e name of the species of animal from which 
the leather originates, rather th an the name of the animal itself, on the labels of the products 
in question.  Operators who would only be able  to prove the precise origin of the leather 
through costly DNA testing, may therefore choose to provide the name of the animal species only; G/TBT/N/FRA/93 
Page 2  
 
  6. Description of content:   (cont'd) 
- The draft Decree allows symbols to be used  alongside the names of the raw materials in 
accordance with the conditions set forth in its  draft Implementing Order (also notified); 
- The draft Decree refers back to that same Order for a certain number of definitions (those 
of animal species, tanning methods, surface types and finishes).  Establishing these 
definitions by Order rather than in the bod y of the Decree (as was previously the case) 
enables them to be amended more easily, as and when required by technical developments.  
7. Objective and rationale, including the na ture of urgent problems where applicable:
 
 By clearly distinguishing between the notions of animal species and animal name 
and by allowing operators to use one or the ot her of these notions to identify their products, 
the proposed revised text ensures the reliab ility of the information given to consumers, 
while providing operators with more flexibility. 
8. Relevant documents:  
Articles L214-1 and L214-2 of the Consumer Code. Decree of 18 February 1986 (Official Jour nal of 27 February 1986), as amended by 
Decrees No. 89-292 of 10 May 1989,  published in the Official Journal of 11 May 1989, and 
No. 96-477 of 30 May 1996, published in the Offi cial Journal of 2 June 1996, applying the 
Law of 1 August 1905 on fraud and forgery in r espect of products and services (as codified 
in the Consumer Code) to trade in products  made of leather and similar materials. 
9. Proposed date of adoption: 
Proposed date of entry into force: }To be determined. 
10. Final date for comments:   60 days from the date of receipt of the notification. 
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [  X ] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers, e-mail and web site addresses, if available, of other body:  
National enquiry point: 
CINORTECH AFNOR 11 avenue Francis de Pressensé 93571 SAINT-DENIS – LA PLAINE Cedex France 
http://members.wto.org/crnatt achments/2008/tbt/fra/08_3969_00_f.pdf