No .eu domain for UK citizens, firms after Brexit, says Europe

The European Commission (EC) on Thursday, March 29, said that following Brexit which is due to happen in exactly a year's time, nobody in the United Kingdom will be allowed to own .eu domain names, online tech publication The Register reported.

The EC, legislative body of the European Union (EU) from which the UK is seeking a separation, told the stakeholders: "As of the withdrawal date, undertakings and organizations that are established in the United Kingdom but not in the EU and natural persons who reside in the United Kingdom will no longer be eligible to register [or renew] .eu domain names."

Though it was not clear when the domain names would be taken away the EC hinted that it could happen on the formal date of Brexit.

Statistics said there are just over 3,17,000 .eu domains registered in the UK which is roughly a tenth of the registry's total number, the Register said, adding that the step would have a big impact on EURid, the firm that runs .eu, and on the EU which receives millions of euros annually as surplus.

No right to appeal

The Register also spoke about the nature of the EC's ruling, adding that there is no provision for appeal for those getting affected by the move and also no time frame for the domain owners to transfer their sites after Brexit takes effect.

In the past, the erstwhile Soviet Union's top-level domain .su was started in 1990, just months ahead of the country's collapse and it was replaced by .ru. Russia, however, wanted to keep .su operative and 1,00,000 sites still use the domain, said one Verge report.

Though such structural change was gradually adjusted to in Soviet Union/Russia will that be equally easy in a case where a regional body is dealing with a sovereign state?

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