WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/TBT/Notif.00/83
16 February 2000
(00-0584)
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade
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:   State Secretariat for Industry
Directorate-General for Energy and Raw Materials
Directorate of Raw Materials and Hydrocarbons97-99 rue de Grenelle
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):   Light marine diesel fuel
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:   Order Concerning the
Characteristics of Light Marine Diesel Fuel (3 pages)
6. Description of content:   Specifications for light marine diesel fuel, including its sulphur
content.
7. Objective and rationale, including the na ture of urgent problems where applicable:
Consumption of light marine diesel fuel is of the order of 0.4 million tonnes per annum.
Pursuant to Directive 99/32/EC, it is necessary to prescribe the sulphur content of marinegas oils.  Light marine diesel fuel is one of the types of gas oil;  it is not currently covered
by French administrative specifications, bu t by an international standard (NF-ISO-8217).
The Order reproduces the main requirements of that Standard, with a limit value for sulphur
content in conformity with Directive 99/32/EC.
8. Relevant documents:   Directive 98/34/EC of 22 June 1998;  Directive 99/32/EC of
26 April 1999;  Decree No. 62-1297 of 7 November 1962;  Decree No. 84-74 of
26 January 1984
9. Proposed date of adoption:  June 2000
Proposed date of entry into force:  1 July 2000
10. Final date for comments:   3 months
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [     ] or address, e-mail and telefax
number of the other body:   National enquiry point (CINORTECH)