European institutions switch to .eu domain The European institutions have officially migrated their web pages and e-mail addresses from the present .eu.int suffix to .eu. They join some 1.5 million Europeans who have so far registered their web pages under the .eu domain, since it was launched on 7 April. As part of... The European institutions have officially migrated their web pages and e-mail addresses from the present .eu.int suffix to .eu. They join some 1.5 million Europeans who have so far registered their web pages under the .eu domain, since it was launched on 7 April. As part of the new web identity, the EUROPA.eu website will provide a single entry point for visitors wishing to view information on the European institutions and agencies. The institutions' current .eu.int addresses will continue to be accessible for a transitional period of one year. That .eu would be created was decided at the Lisbon Council in 2000, and was intended to stress the importance that Europe gives to the information society and to electronic commerce for enhancing Europe's competitiveness. The rapid take-up of the domain name bolsters the European Commission's hope that in the future .eu could rival existing top level domains such as .com and .org. Commenting on the new web identify, Margot Wallström, Vice-President of European Commission, responsible for institutional relations and communication strategy, said that the choice of the 'eu' domain is a symbolic one. 'The EU should focus less on '.institutions' but more on 'Europeans'. The .eu domain will make the EU more visible on the Internet, also to its citizens.' The decision to switch to the .eu domain on 9 May is also symbolic - it is the day chosen by the institutions to commemorate the declaration of Robert Schuman, which led to the formation of the European Coal and Steel Community, the precursor to the European Union.
