. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION   
G/TBT/N/FRA/133 
26 January 2012 
 (12-0521) 
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 du Travail, de l'Emploi et de la Santé 
(Ministry of Labour, Employment and Health) 
Direction Générale de la Santé  (Directorate-General for Health) 
Sous-Direction de la Promotion de la Santé et de la Prévention des Maladies Chroniques  
(Sub-Directorate for the Promotion of Health and the Prevention of Chronic Diseases) 
Bureau des Pratiques Addictives (MC2)  (Office dealing with addictions) 
14, avenue Duquesne - 75350 PARIS 07 SP 
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):  Alcohol breath-testing 
devices (breathalyzers) 
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:  Arrêté modifiant 
l'arrêté du 14 octobre 2008 relatif à l'homol ogation des appareils de dépistage de 
l'imprégnation alcoolique par l'air expiré (ou éthylotests de l'air expiré) utilisés par les 
forces de l'ordre et à l'agrément des laborat oires habilités à réaliser les essais, examens et 
contrôles de ces appareils  (Order amending the Order of 14 October 2008 concerning the 
approval of alcohol breath-testing devices (breathalyzers) used by the police and the accreditation of laboratories authorized to  test, examine and check such devices) 
6. Description of content:   The notified draft Order updates existing regulations so as to take 
into account standards-related devel opments concerning breathalyzers.  
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where applicable:  
Article R. 234-2 of the Highway Code provides that alcohol breath-testing procedures, as 
provided for most notably in Article L. 234-3 of that Code, shall be carried out using a 
device that conforms to an approved type, in accordance with the modalities defined by 
order of the Minister responsible for hea lth, after consultation with the Ministers 
responsible for transport, home affairs and defence. G/TBT/N/FRA/133 
Page 2  
 
  The existing regulations provide that the NF-ETHYLOTEST mark shall be the technical 
reference standard for the quality control of alcohol breath-testing devices.  Accordingly, 
chemical and electronic breathalyzers which have undergone approval tests and checks 
attesting to their conformity with the requi rements set forth in Standards NF 20702 of 
July 2007 and NF 20703 of October 2000 are eligible for approval.  Devices which 
conform to a model holding a certificate of conformity with standards, technical specifications and manufacturing and control procedures ensuring a level of reliability 
equivalent to Standards NF 20702 or 20703 are also eligible. 
European Standard NF EN 15964, which entere d into force in April 2011, has become the 
reference for class 1 electronic breathalyzer s and now replaces Standard NF X 20703. 
The draft text therefore envisages replacing the reference to Standard NF X 20703 with a 
reference to Standard NF EN 15964.  It also  standardizes the terminology used in relation 
to laboratory accreditation. 
The reference to the NF-ETHYLOTEST mark h as been removed from the text of the Order 
of 14 October 2008.  The NF-ETHYLOTEST mark is, in fact, a private collective trademark and should not be mentioned in the Order.  The reference to this mark has 
therefore been replaced in Articles 3, 6,  9 and 11 by the corresponding requirements 
defined in the mark certific ation reference documents. 
Lastly, transitory provisions are included so as to allow breathalyzers approved under 
Standard NF X 20703 to be kept on the mark et until the expiry of that approval.  
8. Relevant documents:  
- Articles L. 234-9 and R. 234-2 of the Highway Code.  
- Order of 14 October 2008 concerning th e approval of alcohol breath-testing 
devices (breathalyzers) used by the police and the accreditation of laboratories authorized to test, examine and check such devices. 
- The Order of 14 October 2008 was the subject of notification No. 2008-0255. 
9. Proposed date of adoption: 
Proposed date of entry into force: }12 April 2012 Upon publication in the Official Journal  
10. Final date for comments:   11 April 2012 
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry  point [X] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and 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 
Text available online at: 
http://members.wto.org/crnattach ments/2012/tbt/FRA/12_0287_00_f.pdf