. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/TBT/Notif.00/249
25 May 2000
(00-2128)
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade
NOTIFICATION
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6.
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   BELGIUM
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):
2. Agency responsible:
Office of the Minister for Telecommunications, Public Enterprises and Participation;
Scientific, technical and cultural affairs;
(Mr. VAN BELLINGHEN):Place Quételet, 7
B-1210 Bruxelles
Telephone:  32 2 250 03 13
Fax:  32 2 250 03 87
Agency or authority designated to handle comments regarding the notification shall be
indicated if different from above:
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [  X ], 2.10.1 [    ], 5.6.2 [    ], 5.7.1 [    ], other:
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading.
ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):   Telecommunications
services
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:   Draft Computer
Crime Act (11 pages, French and Dutch)
6. Description of content:   Establishes a number of new offences (computer forgery,
computer fraud, unauthorized access by insiders and outsiders, data sabotage and computer
sabotage) together with new rules concerning criminal proceedings.
Also introduces a requirement for telecommunications network operators and
service providers to save and keep for a period of one year data relating to calls via
telecommunications networks and the identification of telecommunications services users,in certain cases (to be decided upon by Royal Decree following debate in the Council of
Ministers).
7. Objective and rationale, including the na ture of urgent problems where applicable:   
Legal protection for computer networks is needed by public authorities, businesses
and individuals.
Besides being a means for committing crime, computers have themselves become a
target for criminals.
To provide the justice system with the necessary tools to combat this form of crime,
the draft law is based upon two approaches.G/TBT/Notif.00/249
Page 2
7. Objective and rationale, including the na ture of urgent problems where applicable:
(cont'd)
It aims to follow the Penal Code and the Code of Criminal Procedure without
introducing profound structural reforms.
Secondly, with regard to the introduction of new offences, it aims to criminalize a
number of abuses of information technology in order to curb criminal activity.
8. Relevant documents:   -          
9. Proposed date of adoption:
Proposed date of entry into force: }60 days
10. Final date for comments:           
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [  X ] or address, e-mail and telefax
number of the other body:   CIBELNOR