. /. WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION   
G/TBT/N/FRA/34 
8 June 2004  
 
(04-2463) 
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:       
Ministry of Agriculture, Food, Fisheries and Rural Affairs 
Directorate-General of Food and Nutrition 
Department of Plant Protection and Quality  
251, rue de Vaugirard 75732 Paris cedex 15 
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 app licable, otherwise national tariff heading.
ICS numbers may be provided in  addition, where applicable):  Growing media  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:  Order Amending the 
Order of 5 September 2003 Establishing th e Mandatory Implementation of Standards 
(2 pages). 
6. Description of content:  Mandatory implementation of French Standard (NF) U 44-551/A1 
- Growing media. 
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where applicable:   
 This Order relates primarily to the ma ndatory implementation of a new French 
Standard: Standard NF U 44-551/A1 (February 2004) - Growing media.   This Standard establishes the names of and the specifications and labelling 
requirements for growing media. 
 
 Implementation of this Standard has b een made mandatory for public health 
reasons. G/TBT/N/FRA/34 
Page 2  
 
 
8. Relevant documents:  
Customs Code, in particular Article 38; 
Consumer Code, in par ticular Article L214-1; 
Rural Code, in particular Article L 255-2; Law No. 41-1987 of 24 May 1941 on standardization; 
Decree No. 84-74 of 26 January 1984, as amended, establishing the Standardization Code, in 
particular Article 12; Order of 4 December 1974 approving and cancelling standards. 
9. Proposed date of adoption:  September 2004  
Proposed date of entry into force:  Upon adoption of the text  
10. Final date for comments:   
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [    ] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and E-mail and Web site address es, if available, of other body:   
Ministère de l'Agriculture, de l'Alimentati on, de la Pêche et des Affaires Rurales  
Direction Générale de l'Alimentation  Sous-Direction de la Qualité et de la Protection des Végétaux  
251, rue de Vaugirard  
75732 PARIS cedex 15  E-mail:  odile.petit@agriculture.gouv.fr 
   