French General Code of Local Authorities
In forceI. - Any person offering for sale a new or second-hand vehicle for transporting the body after coffining is required to have it checked, at their own expense, for compliance with the requirements of articles D. 2223-116 to D. 2223-120 with a third-party inspection body accredited for these activities by the Comité français d'accréditation (COFRAC) or by any other accreditation body that is a signatory to the multilateral recognition agreement established within the framework of the European Coordination of Accreditation Bodies (European Cooperation for Accreditation or "EA") in accordance with the general criteria relating to the operation of the various types of bodies carrying out inspections. The body carrying out the conformity check must not have any links of interest with a company involved in the marketing of the vehicle that could affect its impartiality and independence.
The inspection body shall identify the vehicle that has undergone the conformity inspection by means of an irremovable plate or an unalterable engraving indicating its company name, address, date and references of the inspection.
A copy of the conformity certificate shall be sent without delay by the purchaser to the prefect competent to issue an authorisation in the funeral field.
II. - Vehicles manufactured in accordance with either French standards, foreign standards or the technical specifications provided for in the regulations of a Member State of the European Union or of a State party to the agreement establishing the European Economic Area ensuring a recognised equivalent level of protection are presumed to comply with the requirements of articles D. 2223-116 to D. 2223-120. The references of these standards and regulations are published in the Journal officiel de la République Française.
New vehicles belonging to a series that has been certified by a qualified body as complying with a standard recognised as equivalent are exempt from the conformity inspection prior to their entry into circulation provided for in I of this article.
The producer or distributor of these vehicles shall identify the vehicle before placing it on the market by an irremovable plate or an indelible engraving indicating the series designation, the series certification references, the reference to the standard concerned and the references of the certifying body. It shall provide the purchaser of the vehicle with a certificate in duplicate showing the same details.
The purchaser of the vehicle shall immediately send a copy of the certificate referred to in the previous paragraph to the prefect competent to issue it with funeral authorisation.
III. - The registration certificate provided for in article R. 322-2 of the Highway Code for vehicles transporting bodies after coffining must specify that these vehicles are classified as "specialised self-propelled vehicles" (VASP), bodywork "funeral vans" (FG FUNER).
