Commission concludes contract to begin registering .eu domain names
The Commission signed an agreement on 12 October with the EURid consortium to act as the Registry for the .eu top-level domain (TLD), opening the way for the introduction of new domain names by 2005. EURid is the private, non-profit organisation selected by the Commission to implement and manage the .eu TLD. It represents a consortium of Belgian, Italian and Swedish organisations that oversee the national TLDs in their respective countries. According to the Commission, the new domain name will bring single market benefits to the age of e-business, providing new Internet space to European companies and citizens and promoting an online EU identity. Before users can begin registering .eu domain names with EURid, however, the requisite technical infrastructure and software must be put in place. Companies that can register domain names on behalf of clients must also be accredited, and the Registry must approve a registration policy in consultation with the Commission and other interested parties. Ultimately, though, any resident within the EU, any entity with its registered office, central administration or principal place of business within the Community, or any organisation established in an EU country will have the right to register the .eu domain name.