The proposal would create a appoint a registry to operate the new domain and administer the database of all registrations. It would operate on a non-profit basis. The domain names would be sold by various accredited registrars but not by the registry itself.
According to the proposal, those eligible for .eu domain names would be any individual resident within the Community or any organisation having its registered office, central administration or principal place of business within the Community. The proposal does not address whether or not there should be any system of verification at the point of registration.
The Commission is also given the task of forming a dispute resolution policy which must be followed by the registry. The policy should “take into consideration the recommendations of the World Intellectual Property Organisation,” better known as WIPO. Interestingly, no mention is made of ICANN, the body which dictates the dispute resolution rules followed by WIPO.
The new domain is expected to begin operation later this year.