. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/TBT/N/FRA/11
29 July 2002
(02-4183)
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original:  French
NOTIFICATION
The following notification is being circulated 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:   Ministry of the Interior, Directorate of Civil Defence and Safety,
Place Beauvau, 75800 PARIS CEDEX 08.
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):
The proposed amendments relate to the following technical specifications on fire
protection:
- Requirement to display signs clearly i ndicating escape routes and exit doors;
- measures applicable to exhaust fans for vitiated air which can be used to ensure
smoke evacuation in the event of a fire and to the air ducts/ventilation shafts used;
- requirement to indicate the position of fire-fighting equipment which is not clearly
visible;
- incorporation of a new operating method for meeting rooms;
- requirements concerning the location and use of  island displays  in sales areas;
- adaptation of the safety regulations to the rules defining hydrocarbons.
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:  Draft Order on
Approval of Provisions Supplementing and Amending the Safety Regulations Governing
Fire and Panic Hazards in Buildings Open to the Public  (7 pages).
6. Description of content:  This draft Order concerns the regulations governing fire and panic
hazards in establishments open to the public, namely:
- The general provisions applicable to all establishments open to the public in group
one;
- the special provisions adapted to the specific operating conditions of establishments
open to the public in group one;
- the special provisions adapted to the specific operating conditions of establishments
open to the public in group two (category five).G/TBT/N/FRA/11
Page 2
6. Description of content: (cont'd)
Pursuant to Article GN 14 of the Order of 25 June 1980, amended, on safety
regulations, the technical requirements covered by this regulation do not constitute an
impediment or constraint. This Article specifies that the appliances and equipment covered
by these safety regulations must comply with one of the following:
- French standards;
- harmonized European standards;
- the national technical specifications of other member States of the European Union
or European Economic Area recognized by Community decision and the list of
which is published in the Official Journal of the French Republic;
- the standards or technical specifications of other Member States of the European
Union or European Economic Area recognized as equivalent on the basis of theopinion of the competent bodies responsible for the publication of the relevant texts.
The list of these standards or technical specifications is published in the Official
Journal of the French Republic.
When no standards or technical specifications such as those specified in points two
and three above exist or when the products fa il to comply with them, European technical
approval attests to the products’ fitness for purpose.
7. Objective and rationale, including the na ture of urgent problems where applicable:
This draft Order aims to:
- Integrate technical innovations and European standards;
- improve the readability of the text by adapting it to changes in practical application;
- ensure consistency in these areas with regulations on other branches of economic
activity.
8. Relevant documents:   None
9. Proposed date of adoption:  October 2002
Proposed date of entry into force:  January 2003
10. Final date for comments:   End September 2002
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [  X ] or address, telephone and fax
numbers and E-mail and Web site addresses, if available, of other body:
CINORTECH (National Information Centre on Standards and Technical Regulations)
AFNOR (French Standards Association)
11, avenue Francis de Pressensé
93571 SAINT-DENIS-LA PLAINE CEDEX