. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/TBT/N/FRA/42 
7 September 2005 
 
 (05-3892) 
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 la Santé et des Solidarités  (Ministry of Health and Solidarity) 
Direction générale de la santé  (Directorate-General of Health) 
Sous-direction  de la gestion des risques des milieux  (Environmental Risk Management 
Department) 
Bureau Bâtiments, bruit et mileau de trav ail (Buildings, Noise and Work Environment 
Office)  14, avenue Duquesne - 75350 Paris 07 SP 
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):   Personal stereos (any 
portable device suitable for audio reproduction or radio reception, or both, by means of a  
headset or speakers which broadcast sound to th e ears of the user and which may be used by 
the latter whilst on the move. 
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:   Arrête portant 
application de l'article L. 5232-1 du code de la santé publique relatif aux baladeurs 
musicaux (Order implementing Article L. 5232-1 of  the Public Health Code relating to 
personal stereos) (3 pages). 
6. Description of content:  In implementation of Article L. 5232-1 of the Public Health Code 
aimed at protecting the hearing of personal stereo users, this draft order specifies the measurement conditions for the maximum sound pressure output of personal stereos.  
Moreover, it contains prov isions which take into account the fact that the player unit may be 
used in conjunction with components produced by  different manufacturers, or conceived for 
other purposes and sold separately.  It defines th e nature of the health message, stating that, 
at maximum power, prolonged use of a personal st ereo can damage the user's hearing.  In 
comparison with current regulations (Order of  24 July 1998), the provisions relating to the 
attachment of a health warning are more flexible. G/TBT/N/FRA/42 
Page 2  
 
 7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where applicable:   
 Studies carried out among secondary school students show that around 10 per cent 
of them suffer from pathological hearing loss.  According to the Agence Française de 
Sécurité Sanitaire Environnementale  (French Environmental Health Agency), exposure to 
noise, especially at rock concerts, discos and th rough the use of personal stereos, seems to 
be the main cause of hearing loss among the under-25s. 
 Furthermore, the miniaturization of personal stereos means that it is no longer 
possible to attach the health warning stipulated by the current regulations. 
8. Relevant documents:   Report compiled by the Agence Française de Sécurité Sanitaire 
Environnementale  (French Environmental Health Agency):  Health impact of noise – 
Overview of the current situation – Noise h ealth indicators, 14 January 2005 (www.afsse.fr) 
9. Proposed date of adoption: 
Proposed date of entry into force:  October – November 2005 
April – May 2006 (6 months after adoption) 
10. Final date for comments:   20 October 2005 
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [  X ] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and E-mail and Web-site address es, if available, of the other body: 
Point national d'information  (National Enquiry Point) 
CINORTECH 
AFNOR 11, Avenue Francis de Pressensé 93571 Saint-Denis-La Plaine Cedex