Parliament and Council reach compromise on .eu domain
Following informal negotiations between the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers, the Parliament adopted amendments to the Council's common position on a proposed regulation on the Internet domain '.eu' on 28 February. The difference in Parliament and Council positions related to the committee procedure. Whereas the Parliament and the Commission would prefer that implementing measures are taken by the Commission after consultation with an advisory committee, the Council would prefer a regulatory procedure, where the Commission would liase with a regulatory committee. The Council's preferred procedure would be more restrictive, giving more power to the Member States to the extent that the Commission can only adopt implementing measures if backed by a qualified majority of votes within the regulatory committee. The compromise agreed by the Parliament and the Council of Ministers means that the regulatory committee procedure will apply to the definition of criteria governing the designation of the registry, the entity responsible for the organisation, administration and management of the .eu domain as well as the adoption of policy rules. Conversely, the advisory committee procedure will apply to the designation of the registry after publication of the call for expressions of interest, as well as the conclusion of the contract stipulating the conditions under which the Commission will supervise the organisation, administration and management of the .eu domain. Education and Culture Commissioner Viviane Reding announced at the Parliament plenary that the Commission is ready to support the compromise. A Council declaration stating that the registry will be in force as soon as possible was read at the plenary by Parliament vice president David Martin.