French Sports Code
In forceThe athlete shall declare his status at the time of any medical consultation which gives rise to a prescription.
Athletes taking part in or preparing for the events mentioned in 1° of I of article L. 230-3 and whose state of health requires the use of a substance or method on the list of prohibited substances mentioned in the last paragraph of article L. 232-9 may submit requests for therapeutic use exemptions to the French Anti-Doping Agency.
The presence in an athlete's sample, the use or attempted use, possession, administration or attempted administration, as part of a treatment prescribed to an athlete by a health professional, of one or more methods or one or more substances included on the list of prohibited substances mentioned in the same article L. 232-9, their metabolites or their markers does not give rise to any disciplinary or criminal sanction against the athlete if it complies with:
either a Therapeutic Use Exemption granted to the athlete by the Agency or by a foreign National Anti-Doping Organisation ;
-a Therapeutic Use Exemption granted to the athlete by an organisation responsible for a major international sporting event as referred to in 4° of I of article L. 230-2 or by an international federation and whose validity is recognised by the Agency in accordance with the International Standard for Therapeutic Use Exemptions set out in Annex II of the International Convention referred to in article L. 230-2;
- a Therapeutic Use Exemption which the World Anti-Doping Agency has recognised as valid or which it has issued;
Therapeutic use exemptions are granted by the Agence française de lutte contre le dopage (French Anti-Doping Agency), after receiving the assent of a committee of experts reporting to it. This committee is made up of at least three doctors.
The substances and methods for which a Therapeutic Use Exemption may be granted to justify their presence in an athlete's sample, their use or attempted use, their possession, their administration or attempted administration are those included on the list of prohibited substances mentioned in the last paragraph of article L. 232-9.
The French Anti-Doping Agency is not obliged to rule on applications for a Therapeutic Use Exemption submitted by the persons mentioned in 3° of article L. 232-2-1, except when these applications are made following the information provided for in article L. 232-21-1.
The French Anti-Doping Agency withdraws the decision it has taken regarding Therapeutic Use Exemptions and replaces it with that of the World Anti-Doping Agency when the latter, in application of the World Anti-Doping Code, has taken a different decision.
The conditions for issuing Therapeutic Use Exemptions are set by decree.
