. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/TBT/N/FRA/64 
1 May 2007 
 (07-1795) 
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)  
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers, 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 applic able, otherwise national tariff heading.  
ICS numbers may be provided in  addition, where applicable):   Agricultural or forestry 
tractors in categories T4.1 (wheeled high-clear ance tractors) and T4.2 (wheeled extra-wide 
tractors). 
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:   Arrêté relatif à 
l’homologation nationale par type des tracte urs agricoles ou forestiers appartenant à une 
des catégories mentionnées à l’article 8 du décret n° 2005-1236 du 30 septembre 2005  
(Order on the national type-approval of agricultura l or forestry tractors belonging to one of 
the categories referred to in Article 8 of Decree No. 2005-1236 of 30 September 2005) 
(30 pages, in French). 
6. Description of content:   The purpose of the notified text is to establish the national type-
approval modalities for tractors in categories T4 .1 and T4.2, with a view to occupational 
safety and the placing of such vehicles on the market in France.  It authorizes CEMAGREF (National Agricultural and Environmental E ngineering Research Centre) to carry out 
examinations and tests and to issue national approval decisions.  The text specifies the 
content of the information folder that must accompany an application for type-approval.  It 
defines the technical conformity assessment crite ria, including that relating to instruction 
manuals, and provides models for a certificate of  conformity and the mark of conformity.  
7. 
   
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where applicable: 
 The main risk stemming from the design of category T4.1 tractors is that such 
vehicles may roll over or tip up due to their high ground clearance, which raises their centre of gravity while reducing stab ility and increasing the power gene rated during a roll-over.   
 Objective and rationale, including the natu re of urgent problems where applicable: G/TBT/N/FRA/64 
Page 2  
 
  (cont'd)  
 Accidents relating to means of access and to contact with moving parts have also 
been reported.  Between one and two deaths and six and seven accidents occur, on average, 
each year, and usually involve the victim bei ng crushed by a tractor that is not equipped 
with a roll-over protection structure. 
 Tractors in category T4.2 are primarily  intended for working large areas of 
farmland.  In terms of occupational risk, these vehicles are no different to standard wheeled 
tractors. 
8. Relevant documents:   Decree No. 2005-1236 of 30 September 2005 on the rules, 
requirements and procedures applicable to agri cultural or forestry tractors and the devices 
forming part of such vehicles, transposing Directive 2003/37/EC. 
9. Proposed date of adoption: 
Proposed date of entry into force:   July 2007 
Zero, 12 or 24 months after publication in the 
Official Journal of the French Republic, in 
accordance with the schedule set forth in the Order. 
10. Final date for comments:   60 days 
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [  X ] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers, e-mail and web site addresses, if available, of the other body: 
CINORTECH  
AFNOR 11, Avenue Francis de Pressensé 
93571 Saint-Denis-La Plaine Cedex