FRANCE: APPROXIMATION OF FRENCH REGULATIONS ON GAS PRESSURE VESSELS WITH THE EUROPEAN AGREEMENT ON THE INTERNATIONAL TRANSPORT OF DANGEROUS GOODS BY RAIL AND BY ROAD. THE ORDER HAS 5 PAGES. The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6. G/TBT/Notif.97.359. 1. Member to Agreement notifying: FRANCE. If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2). 2. Agency responsible: General Secretariat of the Inter-Departmental Committee for European Economic Cooperation. Agency or authority designated to handle comments regarding the notification can be indicated if different from above: Inter-Department Delegate for Standards, 22, rue Monge, 75005, PARIS. Industrial Safety Division -- Gas and Pressure Vessels Subdivision, 22, rue Monge, 75005, PARIS. 3. Notified under Article 2.9.2. 4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading. ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable): Gas pressure vessels used for the transport of dangerous goods by rail and by road. 5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document: Approximation of French Regulations on Gas Pressure Vessels with the European Agreement on the International Transport of Dangerous Goods by Rail and By Road. The Order has 5 pages. 6. Description of content: Pursuant to European Directives 94/55/EC and 96/49/EC, this amending Order completes the integration of the RID/ADR rules into the French regulations on receptacles for the transport of gas under pressure so as to bring French practices into line with European practices. 7. Objective and rationale: The two directives (94/55/EC and 96/49/EC) provide in Article 6.4 that member States may retain national provisions in force for Class 2 equipment ``until references to standards for the construction and use of tanks and receptacles are added to the Annex, with the same binding force as the provisions therein, but in any event no later than 31 December 1998''. Without waiting for this deadline, the French authorities wish to bring forward the integration of these provisions relating to the conditions of use and requalification of the receptacles defined above, pending the establishment of comprehensive rules and standards governing them, in particular as regards provisions on design. 8. Relevant documents: Draft Order. 9. Proposed date of adoption: France wishes to put this regulatory text into force as rapidly as possible; Proposed date of entry into force: France wishes to put this regulatory text into force as rapidly as possible. 10. Final date for comments: 1 October 1997. 11. Text available from: National enquiry point. (0212)

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