While the registration policies and accreditation of registrars are yet to be finalized for the newly announced .eu TLD, the following email may find its way to your inbox, if not yet already:

We are now accepting registrations for .eu domain names. You can check on our site to see if your ideal domain has been taken yet.

Check Now: http://www.registereu.com

The .eu domain is approved by the EU Commission and we are proud to be operating the Internet’s most important regional domain name.

The domain will go live late 2003/early 2004 and your registration will start from that date. You do not lose any time by registering early.

To check a domain or place a registration please see our web site:

http://www.registereu.com

If you have any questions plese contact [email protected]

Best regards,

Sales Director eu Registry Services http://www.registereu.com

As it has been noted by EURid, chosen by the European Commission to manage the .eu TLD, “It is not yet possible to register a .eu domain name nor to make an official pre-registration for such a domain. We have not yet begun accrediting registrars so nobody can claim to be a .eu registrar yet nor can they guarantee to get a particular name. As with all internet purchases, we recommend caution in handing over money to companies who do not provide adequate contact information and suggest you read their terms and conditions first.”

Before starting the registrations for the .eu TLD a number of steps are still to be finalized by EURid:

1. “EURid will need to sign an agreement with the European Commission. The Commission - in cooperation with the EU member states and EURid - also needs to determine the so-called “public policy” rules. Those rules with relevance to the public interest will certainly affect the registration policy that EURid will apply. Finally, ICANN (the not-for-profit organisation overseeing the DNS system) still has to delegate the .eu code and has to include it in the DNS root servers. EURid will also have to negotiate a contract with ICANN.”

2. “In a second phase a network of registrars will be established through whom applications for the registration of .eu domain names will be processed. Orders for the registration of a .eu domain will have to be introduced with one of those registrars and cannot be introduced with EURid directly.”

3. “Once .eu registrars are accredited they will be allowed to accept pre-registrations for their customers. At the start of the live registrations, they will introduce their pre-registrations in the automated systems of EURid for processing. “

EURid estimates that registrations under .eu could become available near the end of the year but possibly even later.