It was not just the French who last year issued an AIC mandating 406 mhz ELTs.
For your information the Dutch CAA demands a 406 ELT fitted to the aircraft, but unlike the French, a PLB is not good enough.
http://www.ais-netherlands.nl/aim/AICB/pdf/b07-08.pdf
In the English section on the applicablity of the new rule to GA aircraft the text is incomplete. A very rough translation of the Dutch text is as follows.
INTERNATIONAL GENERAL AVIATION
- AIRCRAFT
1. All aircraft (including MLA and TMG) which exeute international flights as general aviation, should equipped with at least one ELT whatever what type.
2. All aircraft (incl. TMG and MLA) which execute international flights as General Aviation, for which the C of A is issued after July 1st 2008, must be equipped with at least one ELT that is automatically activated.
In other words,
1. all GA aircraft on international flights must have an ELT of any type and
2. If first C of A issued after July 1 2008 it must be automatically activated.