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The Dot EU TLD - current state and next steps

George Papapavlou

Head of unit, Internet-related services

European Commission

Domain Day 2003

Milan 13 November 2003

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A brief historyFirst informal discussions 1998-99

Commission public consultation paper - 2 February 2000

Feira European Council March 2000: e-Europe

Commission Communication 11 April 2000

Letters to DoC and ICANN May 2000

Commission Communication 5 July 2000

ICANN Board resolution 25 September 2000

Regulation proposed 12 December 2000, published 30 April 2002

Designation of EURid as .eu Registry 21 May 2003

Start of discussions on Public Policy Rules 11 July 2003

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What is the added value of the .eu TLD?

• An Internet identity for European businesses and citizens

• Additional domain space for e-commerce activities in or from the Internal Market

• Community legal framework (e-commerce, distant selling, IPR, personal data protection, child pornography, attacks against information systems)

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The purpose of the Regulation

• To establish a legal basis for the implementation of .EU

• To give the outline of the Community’s and the Registry’s responsibilities and interaction

• To provide a broad policy framework

• Public policy is a Community responsibility

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Who is eligible?• undertakings having their registered office,

central administration or principal place of business within the Community

• organisations established within the Community

• natural persons resident within the Community

• New Member States? Yes

• EEA? EFTA? No immediate inclusion-proposed recital giving the possibility, ongoing discussions

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The Commission role

• implement the .eu TLD

• designate a Registry

• establish a public policy framework having consulted a Council Committee and the Registry-more details

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Designation of the Registry• Open, transparent procedure, public concession

• Registered office, central administration, principal place of business within Community

• Call for expression of interest September 2002

• 7 applications received, evaluated November 2002

• EURID: .it, .be, .se ccTLD Registries

• Formally designated May 2003

• Contract with EURid-Commission scrutinized by Legal Service

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The Registry• The Registry to organize, administer and

manage .eu, on the basis of principles of quality, efficiency, reliability and accessibility

• observe transparent and non-discriminatory procedures

• impose affordable, cost-related fees

• determine registration policy aspects not explicitly awarded to the Commission

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Public Policy Rules• Regulation article 5

• extra-judicial dispute resolution policy

• speculative and abusive registrations

• phased registration (“sunrise” period)

• exclusion or conditional registration lists of geographic or geo-political concepts

• issues of language and geographical concepts

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Subsequent steps• Signature of contract with EURid• Commission to inform ICANN• Public Policy Rules to be agreed with Member States

and adopted by Commission• Registry to submit technical proposal and sign contract

with ICANN• Registry to accredit Registrars• .EU becomes operational starting with sunrise period

for rightholders (1.05.04)

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•Thank you

George.Papapavlou@cec.eu.int