WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/TBT/N/FRA/115 
27 July 2010 
 (10-4022) 
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 l'Aménagement , du Logement et de la Nature   
(Directorate-General for Pla nning, Housing and Nature) 
Direction de l'Habitat, de l'Urbanisme et des Paysages  
(Housing, Urban Planning and Landscape Department) 
Sous-Direction de la Qualité et du Dével oppement Durable dans la Construction   
(Unit for Quality and Sustainable Development in Construction) 
Bureau de la Qualité Technique et de la Réglementación Technique de la Construction 
(Office for the Technical Quality and Technical Regulation of Construction) 
Arche Sud - 92055 LA DEFENSE cedex FRANCE 
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):   Building shell 
components, heating systems, domestic hot water systems, cooling systems, equipment for 
generating energy using renewable energy sources, ventilation systems, lighting systems. 
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:   Arrêté portant 
approbation de la méthode de calcul Th-B-C-E  prévue aux articles 4, 5 et 6 de l'arrêté 
relatif aux caractéristiques thermiques et aux  exigences de performance énergétique des 
bâtiments nouveaux et des parties nouvelles de bâtiments (Order approving the Th-B-C-E  
calculation method provided for in Articles 4, 5 and 6 of the Order concerning the thermal characteristics of and energy performance requi rements for new buildings and new parts of 
buildings) (1,086 pages)  
6. Description of content:  The draft Order concerning the thermal characteristics of and 
energy performance requirements for new buildings and new parts of buildings seeks to limit the energy consumed by five types of app liance, as well as energy needs for heating, 
cooling and artificial lighting systems, and summertime discomfort.  The notified draft 
Order approves the regulatory calculation method used to calculate the three 
above-mentioned indicators in respect of ne w buildings subject to these regulations. G/TBT/N/FRA/115 
Page 2  
 
  7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where applicable:
The Framework Law of 13 July 2005 outlini ng French energy policy seeks to reduce CO
2 
emissions from the building sector by 75 pe r cent by 2050.  The Law of 3 August 2009 
concerning the implementation of the resu lts of the Environmental Round Table ( Grenelle 
de l'environnement ) supplemented and clarified targets for the energy performance of new 
buildings.  It most notably sets the targ et of reducing the average annual energy 
consumption of new buildings to 50 kWh/m2.  Thermal regulation requirements must 
therefore be enhanced so as to reduce ener gy consumption and resulting inequalities and 
improve household purchasing power.  It must be ensured that all new buildings attain a 
very high energy performance level, therefore consuming very low levels of energy, with a 
view to complying with the "positive energy" concept in 2020.  Within the framework of 
the transposition of Directive 2010/31/EU of 19 May 2010 on the energy performance of buildings, the regulatory methods used to calculate the energy performance of new 
buildings must be specified.  In order to quantify the energy performance of a building, it must be possible to estimate its normal energy consumption.  A calculation method is 
therefore needed which makes it possible to assess the energy consumption of buildings in 
normal conditions of use. 
8. Relevant documents:  
• Directive 2010/31/EU of 19 May 2010 on the energy performance of buildings; 
• Directive 2009/28/EC of 23 April 2009 on the promotion of the use of energy from 
renewable sources; 
• Loi n° 2009-967 du 3 août 2009 de programmation relative à la mise en oeuvre du 
Grenelle de l'environnement  (Law No. 2009-967 of 3 August 2009 concerning the 
implementation of the results of the Environmental Round Table); 
• Code de la construction et de l'habitation  (Building and housing code) 
(Articles L.111-9, L.134-2, L.151-1, *R.111-2, R.111-20, R.131-28, *R.111-2, R.111-6, R.111-20); 
• Code de l'urbanisme  (Urban planning code) (Article R.112-2); 
• Decree No. 92-647 of 8 July 1992, as ame nded, concerning the suitability for use 
of construction products; 
• Decree No. 95-21 of 9 January 1995 concer ning the classification of land transport 
infrastructure and amending the urban pl anning and building and housing codes; 
• Order of 30 May 1996 concerning proce dures for the classification of land 
transport infrastructure and the soundproofing of residential buildings in areas affected by noise. 
9. Proposed date of adoption:  
Proposed date of entry into force:  1 December 2010 
1 July 2011 
10. Final date for comments:   60 days  G/TBT/N/FRA/115 
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  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 at: 
http://members.wto.org/crnatt achments/2010/tbt/fra/10_2891_00_f.pdf
 
http://members.wto.org/crnatt achments/2010/tbt/fra/10_2891_01_f.pdf