History of french asbestos law

The french government, getting aware of the asbestos risk for health, set up since 1996 a regulation :

• banning the use of asbestos in 1997,
• aiming at preventing dispersion in the atmosphere of asbestos fibres used before 1997 as building materials.

This second part of the regulation evolved in the course of time : the owners's duties were initially defined by decree 96-97, then modified successively by the decrees 97-855, 2001-840 and 2002-839.
The regulation seems 'freezed' today because these texts were integrated in May 2003 in the Code de la Santé Publique (articles R.1334-14 to R.1334-29).

The inspection of 'flockings, duct insulations and suspended ceilings'

The first stages of the regulation specified that an inspection concerning the components "flockings, duct insulations and suspended ceilings" was to be carried out in all buildings except the houses before the 31/12/1999.
Even if, by ignorance of the texts, much of owners did not order it, this inspection is considered as carried out today. It can thus be required before the signature of certain notarial acts (for ex : the constitution of a SCI).
Note: this inspection is not sufficient anymore in case of a realty sale: it must be supplemented because the most recent regulation enlarged the list of the components to be controlled.