WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION   
G/TBT/N/FRA/137 
21 May 2012 
 (12-2658) 
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:  
Bureau de la Qualité de l'Air Direction Générale de la Prévention des Risques 
MEDDTL Arche de la Défense - Paroi Nord 92055 LA DEFENSE Cedex 
Name and address (including telephone  and fax numbers, 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 app licable, otherwise national tariff heading. 
ICS numbers may be provided in  addition, where applicable):   Installations for the 
dry-cleaning and treatment of textiles or clothing and their operators. 
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:  Arrêté modifiant 
l'arrêté du 31 août 2009 relatif aux prescripti ons générales applicables aux installations 
classées pour la protection de l' environnement soumises à déclaration sous la rubrique n° 
2345 relative à l'utilisation de solvants pour le ne ttoyage à sec et le traitement des textiles 
ou des vêtements (Order amending the Order of 31 August 2009 concerning the general 
provisions applicable to installations classified for environmental protection which are subject to declaration under heading No. 2345 on the use of solvents for the dry-cleaning 
and treatment of textiles or clothing) 
6. Description of content:   Dry-cleaning installations are classified installations, covered by 
heading No. 2345 of the nomenclature and regulated by the Ministerial Order of 31 August 2009.  The draft Order seeks to enhance the operating requirements for such 
installations, most notably by introducing the following provisions: 
 
- A ban on machines using perchloroethylene,  or solvents at least as volatile as 
perchloroethylene, in establishments adjacen t to premises occupied by third parties: 
  - for new installations as of 2012;  and 
 
 - for existing installations modified after 2012, or for those that have been in 
operation for 15 years, as of 1 January 2014;   G/TBT/N/FRA/137 
Page 2  
 
  - the 2021 deadline for the introduction of high-performance machines (refrigerated 
condensers, automatic emptying systems,  etc.) and the assessment of compliance 
with volatile organic compound (VOC) emission requirements has been brought 
forward to 2018; 
- the date of the first periodic check for major infringements has also been brought 
forward; 
- removal of the exemption concerning minimum distances from emission points, 
immediately for new installations and in 2022 for installations that have already 
installed a filter;  filter usage requireme nts will be strengthened between now and 
2022; 
- changes to requirements concerning subs titute products (ventilation limited to 
when machines are operating, and reduction of minimum distances from emission points); 
- setting of a maximum level of 1250 microg/m
3 for perchloroethylene in air inside 
premises adjacent to establishments. 
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where applicable: 
Tests conducted in apartments located above dry-cleaning establishments have shown high 
concentrations of perchloroethylene that in  some cases exceed the reference values 
established by the Agency for Food, Environm ental and Occupational Health and Safety 
(ANSES) and the Public Health Council (HC SP), even where the dry-cleaning equipment 
used is recent and meets emission requirements.   In its opinion of 16 June 2010, the HCSP 
recommended that "in future, no new dry-cleaning establishment should be set up in the immediate vicinity of residential buildings unless the techniques and equipment used guarantee that there will be no contamination of the site". 
 
The regulations pertaining to such establishm ents were reinforced in 2009 but remain 
inadequate in view of the health risks posed by dry-cleaning establishments using 
perchloroethylene and the compliance difficulties observed since 2008.  The draft Order therefore provides for a definitive ban on in stallations using perchloroethylene when 
located in establishments adjacent to pr emises occupied by third parties. 
 The other measures provided for seek to stre ngthen the implementation conditions of the 
Order and to adapt the requirements for inst allations that remain subject to heading 
No. 2345 when using solvents. 
8. Relevant documents:  
Code de l'environnement  (Environment Code), in particular Articles L511-1, L511-2, 
L512-10, L512-11, and R512-55 to R512-60;  
Arrêté du 31 août 2009 relatif aux prescriptions  générales applicables aux installations 
classées pour la protection de l' environnement soumises à déclaration sous la rubrique n° 
2345 relative à l'utilisation de solvants pour le ne ttoyage à sec et le traitement des textiles 
ou des vêtements (Order of 31 August 2009 concerning th e general provisions applicable to 
installations classified for environmental protection which are subject to declaration under heading No. 2345 on the use of solvents for th e dry-cleaning and treatment of textiles or 
clothing).  G/TBT/N/FRA/137 
 Page 3 
 
 
  Avis relatif aux mesures de gestion à mett re en œuvre en cas de teneurs élevées en 
tétrachloroéthylène dans l'air intérieur des logements  (Opinion concerning management 
measures to be taken in the event of high levels  of tetrachloroethylene in air in residential 
buildings), Public Health Council (HCSP), 16 June 2010. 
Avis relatif à la fixation de valeurs repères d'aide  à la gestion pour le tétrachloroéthylène 
dans l'air des espaces clos  (Opinion concerning benchmark values for managing 
tetrachloroethylene in air in en closed spaces), HCSP, 16 June 2010. 
 
Perchloroethylene has also been subject to  a risk assessment under Regulation No. 793/93 
(available at:  http://esis.jrc.ec.europa.eu/doc/risk_assessment/EURATS/CONCLUSIONS/eurats_concl_021.pdf).  A full assessment unde r the REACH regulation is scheduled for 
2013 in the light of human health concerns relating to its toxicological properties and exposure to the substance. 
9. Proposed date of adoption:   August 2012 
Proposed date of entry into force:   October 2012 
10. Final date for comments:   July 2012 
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry  point [X] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers, e-mail and website addresses,  if available of the other body: 
Bureau de la Qualité de l'Air 
Direction Générale de la Prévention des Risques MEDDTL Arche de la Défense - Paroi Nord 
92055 LA DEFENSE Cedex 
 http://members.wto.org/crnattach ments/2012/tbt/FRA/12_1815_00_F.pdf