Public consultation on the evaluation and revision of the .eu top-level domain regulations

[Mueller, Milton L]

Obviously people in the EU region should take the lead on this. But I would encourage NCSG members to critically examine the restrictive eligibility requirements. In a way that is unfortunately all too typical of Europe, the rules have contradictory goals: they want to encourage a EU-wide identity online but I get the impression they also want to protect existing ccTLDs from competition by restricting the ability of individuals to register .EU names. The idea that they would only loosen those rules for “underserved markets” strikes me as laughable. Why not just allow anyone to have a .EU name?

--MM

From: NCSG-Discuss [mailto:NCSG-DISCUSS at LISTSERV.SYR.EDU] On Behalf Of Ayden Férdeline
Sent: Monday, June 12, 2017 1:17 PM
To: NCSG-DISCUSS at LISTSERV.SYR.EDU
Subject: Public consultation on the evaluation and revision of the .eu top-level domain regulations

The European Commission has launched a public consultation on the .eu top-level domain. Is this something that the NCSG should be commenting on? I have pasted below what the EU has identified as its objectives for this consultation.

https://ec.europa.eu/info/consultations/public-consultation-evaluation-and-revision-eu-top-level-domain-regulations_en

Best wishes, Ayden Férdeline

--


The purpose of this consultation is to collect views on the performance of the Regulations that are governing the .eu top-level domain.

The .eu domain is the country code top level domain (ccTLD) for the European Union. Initiated by the Commission, it was formally established by Regulation 733/2002 of 22 April 2002 (as amended). The EC Regulation 874/2004 set the rules for the registry and the .eu. The .eu TLD was delegated by ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) in 2005.

The main aim of the .eu (and .ею in Cyrillic script - hereafter ‘.eu’) is to contribute effectively to the Digital Single Market by encouraging and increasing secure and reliable e-commerce and build a strong digital identity for people and organisations in the European Union.

The .eu TLD ranks among the largest top-level domains. It is operated by EURid, a Belgian not-for-profit organisation, upon appointment of the European Commission. Therefore EURid is the current .eu registry. The .eu domain names can be registered through a network of approximately 700 companies, called "accredited registrars".

Over a decade after their entry into force, the .eu Regulations should be reviewed to take into account the developments and challenges of the current domain name industry and to become more flexible and future-proof. The Commission's 2017 Work Programme provides that the revision of the eu. Regulations fall under the Regulatory Fitness and Performance Programme (REFIT) and that it should be preceded by an evaluation to assess whether the current regulatory framework is fit-for-purpose.

On the basis of the findings, the Commission will define policy options to be pursued with the review the .eu Regulations. Examples of areas for which future options may be developed are:

  *   facilitate operational management (e.g. the introduction of a much easier process for reserving .eu domain names for the European Institutions and Member/Candidate Countries);
  *   update the Regulations in view of changed market circumstances. That might entail the introduction of a possibility for the .eu registry to sell directly to end-users in currently underserved markets where end-users have difficulties in finding a local domain name provider;
  *   ensure the rules are future-proof, and allow the .eu TLD registry to introduce new services, if appropriate, that complement the management of the .eu TLD and its variants in other scripts (without having to amend the Regulations each time to do so);
  *   promote EU priorities in Internet Governance, possibly by including provisions which would explicitly orient the .eu Registry's activities to that direction;
  *   enhance the use of .eu as an online European identity. This might include among others consideration on changing the eligibility criteria for end-users.



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