./.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/TBT/Notif.99.19
21 January 1999
(99-0205)
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade
NOTIFICATION
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6.
1. Member to Agreement notifying:  BELGIUM
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):  Belgium
2.Agency responsible:
Ministry of Justice
Boulevard de Waterloo 115
B-1000 Brussels
Tel +32 2 542 67 92
Fax: +32 2 542 70 34
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):  Certain signalling pistols,
certain devices for animal slaughter, certain anaesthetic guns and devices used for the
training of hunting dogs.
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:  Royal Decree Amending
the Royal Decree of 1 March 1998 on the Clas sification of Certain Signalling Pistols,
Certain Devices Used for Animal Slaughter, Certain Anaesthetizing Guns and Devices Used
for the Training of Hunting Dogs
6. Description of content:  The current wording of the Royal Decree has given rise to an
interpretation inconsistent with the spirit of the Regulations.  Devices which do not in fact
satisfy the definition of signalling pistol referred to in the Decree have been marketed,
relying on a false interpretation of the Decree, as a means of taking unfair advantage of the
more favourable rules applied to signalling pistols.  As a result, guns which should beconsidered as weapons of defence, subject to the requirement of a permit, are currently
available on the free market.  The same problem could well arise with regard to the
definition of the other devices referred to.  To resolve this problem, there is now a clear
need to stipulate that, in order to qualify for favourable treatment, the devices concerned
should be used only for the purposes for which they are intended, this being the goalpursued by the Royal Decree from the outset, which was initially considered self-evident.
The opportunity has also been taken to withdraw the requirement that rubber
projectiles be used with devices for the training of hunting dogs, since it has been found that
cotton products are available on the market.
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where applicable:
See point 6.G/TBT/Notif.99.19
Page 2
8. Relevant documents:  -
9. Proposed date of adoption:
Proposed date of entry into force: } 60 days
10. Final date for comments:           
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [ X ] or address, e-mail and telefax number of
the other body:  CIBELNOR