Brussels, 03/03/2003 (Agence Europe) - As we have already reported, the EU's justice ministers on Friday managed to reach political agreement over a draft framework decision establishing a degree of harmonisation of the definition of and penalties for attacking computer systems. Hacking, damaging a system's integrity, and damaging the integrity of data will have to be defined as crimes, "at least in cases where the facts are serious". For hacking into computer systems, Member States can restrict penalties to hacking through security systems. Encouraging, aiding or being complicit to hacking should also be penalised. Member States must foresee "effective, proportionate and dissuasive criminal penalties" for all computer crime, to which a penalty of at least one year's imprisonment must be applied to attempts to disable on computer systems or data. National legislation must also foresee penalties against corporate bodies. The agreement still needs to be formally endorsed by the Council.