EC presses for dot-eu domain by the end of 2000

The European Commission wants to have a dot-eu top-level domain name (TLD) up and running by the end of the year, but may be held back if Icann drags its feet over the future of generic TLDs.

According to Christopher Wilkinson, advisor to the director general of the EU's Information Society directorate, the European Commission hopes to see Icann reach a decision on TLDs at its meeting in Yokohama, Japan in July.

If that happens, he said, the Commission could have a not-for-profit registry set up by autumn. "We are to some extent dependent on Icann," he said.

The consultation period - which ended on 17 March - drew 92 responses. In its own response, EuroISPA - which proposed the dot-eu domain to the Commission in 1997 - suggested the creation of a pan-European registry, called Euronames, with branches in all the member states.

These national branches, it said, would mediate relations with registrars who would normally do the actual registration of names.

Wilkinson said the Commission has not yet decided on the details of a registry for dot-eu.