. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/TBT/N/FRA/17
7 January 2003
(03-0031)
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:
Interministerial Director for Standards
Sub-Directorate of Quality for I ndustry and Standardization (SQUALPI)
64-70 Allée de Bercy
Télédoc 811
75574 PARIS Cedex 12
Tel.: 01 53 44 97 04Fax: 01 53 44 98 88
E-mail: suzanne.piau@industrie.gouv.fr or syrte@industrie.gouv.fr
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):  Fertilizing substances
and growing media
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:  Order on the
Inspections to be Conducted by Parties Responsible for Placing Certain FertilizingSubstances and Growing Media on the Market  (2 pages).
6. Description of content:   This Order reaffirms the self-inspection obligations of parties
responsible for placing fertilizing substances  and growing media on the market pursuant to
mandatory standards. It supplements the Order establishing the mandatory implementation of
standards and sets out the characteristics of the products subject to regular analyses by the
parties responsible for placing them on the mark et, both to check that they comply with the
respective standards and to ensure their safety for man, animals and the environment.
7. Objective and rationale, including the na ture of urgent problems where applicable:
 The provisions of this Order previously appeared in several different texts, namely
Orders establishing mandatory implementation and the Order of 8 December 1982 on
technical procedures for official inspections and checks to be carried out by parties
responsible for placing products on the market. These provisions have been compiled in a
single text for greater clarification.G/TBT/N/FRA/17
Page 2
8. Relevant documents:
Customs Code, in particular Article 38;
Consumer Code, in particular Article L214-1;
Rural Code, in particular Article L 255-2;
Decree No. 80-478 of 16 June 1980 implementing the Law of 1 August 1905 on fraud
prevention with regard to fertilizing substances and growing media, in particular Article 8;
Order of 8 December 1982 on technical procedures for official inspections and checks to be
carried out by parties responsible for placing products on the market.
9. Proposed date of adoption:
Proposed date of entry into force:
10. Final date for comments:   
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [    ] or address, telephone and fax
numbers and E-mail and Web site addresses, if available, of other body:
Ministry of Agriculture, Food, Fisheries and Rural Affairs
Directorate-General of Food and Nutrition
Department of Plant Protection and Quality251, rue de Vaugirard
75732 PARIS Cedex 15
Tel.: 01 49 55 81 41
Fax: 01 49 55 59 49
E-mail: odile.petit@agriculture.gouv.fr
National enquiry point
CINORTECH (National Information Centre on Standards and Technical Regulations)
AFNOR (French Standards Association)
11, avenue Francis de Pressensé
93571 SAINT-DENIS-LA PLAINE Cedex