| Author (Person) | Davies, Eric | |||||||||||||||
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| Publisher | ProQuest Information and Learning | |||||||||||||||
| Series Title | In Focus | |||||||||||||||
| Series Details | 7.9.02 | |||||||||||||||
| Publication Date | 07/09/2002 | |||||||||||||||
| Content Type | News, Overview, Topic Guide | In Focus | |||||||||||||||
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The advent of a '.eu' ('dot eu') suffix for internet domain names drew a step closer on 3 September when organisations were invited to express their interest in running the scheme. The Call for expressions of interest for the selection of the .eu TLD Registry, published in the Official Journal, is addressed to organisations able to organise, administer and manage the .eu TLD (top level domain) Registry. The .eu domain name is intended to provide EU-based internet users with a 'European' identity, and will enable citizens, organisations and businesses to have .eu website and e-mail addresses. It will be available for use alongside current suffixes such as .com, .org, .be, .uk. Background The creation of .eu is part of the European Union's eEurope Action Plan, launched at the European Council's Lisbon Summit in March 2000. At the so-called 'dot.com' Summit EU leaders agreed that, by 2010, Europe should 'become the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world capable of sustainable economic growth with more and better jobs and greater social cohesion' (see European Sources Online: In Focus: To help achieve that ambition, the Council of the European Union and the Commission were asked to draw up an 'eEurope Action Plan' on the basis of the Commission's eEurope initiative, launched in December 1999, details of which were given in the Communication eEurope: An Information Society For All. .eu was seen as a key element in the Commission's strategy to increase internet use in Europe. In its Communication, the Commission said it would support the creation of a .eu top-level domain 'to encourage cross-border electronic commerce within the EU and assist those companies wishing to establish an EU-wide Internet presence.' Commissioner Erkki Liikanen said he expected the introduction of .eu to 'lead to a higher visibility of the European 'brand' in the virtual marketplace' and spoke of it as being 'an important enabler for European electronic commerce, allowing a new breed of '.eu' e-commerce web-sites to do business across Europe.' An eEurope Action Plan was prepared for - and adopted by - the Feira European Council in June 2000. It identified various objectives, including stimulating the use of the internet, which was to be achieved in part by 'accelerating e-commerce' in a number of ways, including by establishing a .eu top level domain name by the end of 2000. On 12 December 2000 the Commission adopted a Proposal for a Regulation on the implementation of the Internet Top Level Domain .eu. A Regulation was required because, although national boundaries are identified on the internet through country-specific suffixes such as .uk or .be (the so-called 'country code top level domains' or ccTLDs) the European Union is not recognised - i.e. the EU does not exist in cyberspace. (Suffixes such as .com, .org and .info are known as 'generic top level domains' or gTLDs). The proposed Regulation was initially rejected by the European Parliament, but was approved by MEPs at their second reading at the end of February. During the debate, Parliament's Rapporteur, Colette Flesch MEP, argued that the creation of the .eu domain was 'a crucial factor in speeding up the development of the e-economy and e-commerce in Europe', whilst Commissioner Erkki Liikanen, who welcomed the vote in favour of the Regulation, said it would 'increase choice for European businesses and citizens, accelerate the uptake of Internet use and reinforce e-commerce across the European Internal Market' by, for example, allowing 'a company with branches in several or all EU countries to reflect their Europe-wide presence on the Internet.' Following Parliament's approval, Regulation 733/2002 was adopted by the Council on 22 April and entered into force on 30 April 2002. The Regulation is intended to provide a legal basis for implementing the .eu top level domain. It sets out the conditions for such implementation, including the designation of a Registry - a non-profit organisation responsible for the organisation, administration and management of the TLD. Although the Regulation does not control the day-to-day activities of the Registry, it does establish the general legal and policy framework within which the selected organisation will operate. Following the call published on 3 September, interested organisations have until 25 October to submit their expressions of interest. It is anticipated that the Registry will be appointed at the end of 2002 or early in 2003. The timetable for introducing the new domain name envisages a number of additional steps before users will be able to apply for their e-mail and web addresses, including completing the delegation process with ICANN (the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers - a technical coordination body for the internet) and adopting the procedure for accreditation of Registrars by the .eu Registry. Most of the remaining steps will require the Commission to liaise with EU Member States, and it is consequently difficult to say exactly when .eu will become available, although it seems likely to be around mid-2003. Although some websites are currently offering a .eu pre-registration service, the European Commission is discouraging individuals and businesses from pre-registering .eu names until the Registry has been appointed and registration policies have been agreed. Another issue which concerns the Commission is 'cybersquatting' - the practice whereby individuals with no connection to a specific name and no legitimate interest in it, register an internet name or - more often - names, in the hope that they will profit by selling it or them to individuals, businesses or organisations who do have a connection with the name(s) concerned. According to Commissioner Erkki Liikanen, cybersquatting 'could prejudice our efforts to make .eu one of the engines to boost internet use and e-commerce in Europe.' The Commission launched an online consultation to help it develop appropriate rules to combat 'speculative and abusive' registration of domain names. Results of the consultation . Further information within European Sources Online: Further and subsequent information on the subject of this In Focus can be found by an 'Advanced Search' in European Sources Online by inserting 'top level domain' or another appropriate term in the keyword field.
Further information can be seen in these external links: Eric Davies The advent of a '.eu' ('dot eu') suffix for internet domain names drew a step closer on 3 September 2002 when organisations were invited to express their interest in running the scheme. |
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| Subject Categories | Business and Industry | |||||||||||||||
