eu extends to EEA countries from 8 January 2014

Dec. 3, 2013 - PRLog -- Brussels, 3 December 2013 – Residents, companies and organisations based in the European Economic Area (EEA) countries of Iceland, Lichtenstein and Norway will also be eligible to register domain names under the .eu top-level domain from 8 January 2014.

This decision by the European Commission follows up on the provision contained in the original .eu regulation (EC 733/2002), which foresaw the extension of .eu to the European Economic Area.

“We welcome this positive development which has been in the air for some time,” commented the .eu registry’s General Manager Marc Van Wesemael. “The more countries and businesses that benefit from .eu’s unique identity, the stronger its brand becomes.”

“Iceland, Lichtenstein and Norway have had close economic ties with the European Union since the Community’s early years. Granting them access to the .eu top-level domain is a natural step forward in that relationship.”

“Our annual research shows that .eu is seen as a reliable and valuable online label. We are confident that the companies and residents of these countries will soon appreciate the advantages of the .eu TLD, including the strong security procedures for its management and databases.”

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About .eu and EURid

The .eu domain ranks among the largest top-level domains in the world, connecting 500 million people in 28 EU countries to one Internet identity. More than 3.5 million .eu names have been registered since the domain opened for registration in 2005. Many companies and brands use a .eu website as a practical solution to convey a clear European identity and their business ambitions, including Fairtrade International, Foot Locker, Louis Vuitton, the MAN Group, Microsoft Corporation, Orangina and Toyota.

EURid is the not-for-profit organisation that operates the .eu top-level domain, following a tender process and appointment by the European Commission. EURid works with over 750 accredited registrars and provides support in the 24 official EU languages. EURid is registered by the EU Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS), which is an expression of EURid’s environmental commitment. EURid has its headquarters in Brussels (Belgium), and regional offices in Pisa (Italy), Prague (the Czech Republic) and Stockholm (Sweden). More information at: http://www.eurid.eu.