Euro domain racks up 2.5 million fans

More than 2.5 million people and organisations have registered European Union domain names since dot-eu was opened to the public a year ago.

According to the European Union, dot-eu is now Europe's third most popular top level domain (TLD) and the seventh most popular globally.

It's also one of the fastest growing TLDs, with a 17 per cent increase in registrations in the past five months.

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The dot-eu domain names can be used by businesses and organisations based in the European Union, along with all citizens resident in the EU. The Europe-specific domain name was intended to complement national domain names and allow organisations and individuals to have a pan-European identity.

Possessing a dot-eu domain name also means consumer rights are protected by EU rules and standards.

Only the national TLDs of Germany and the UK are more widespread than dot-eu in Europe. The strongest demand for dot-eu comes from those countries, with Germany accounting for 31 per cent of registrations and the UK 17 per cent.

Until 7 April last year, only trademark holders, public bodies and certain companies with prior rights could use the dot-eu domain.