Sprint for .eu domain starts on 7 December
The European Union's new internet domain ".eu" will open for business next Wednesday (7 December).
For the first four months, public bodies and business trade mark holders will be prioritised to register their .eu names.
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From 7 April 2006, the registry will become available for applications from the general public, the European Commission announced.
Information society commissioner Viviane Reding said she expected the domain to become as important as the .com suffix.
"For businesses, .eu will extend their marketing reach, while protecting them under EU law against cybersquatters", she argued, adding that citizens' websites with the so-called EU "top level" domain will become "more visible" across the continent.
A domain name is a simple way for a computer or network to be identified on the internet.
The .eu address registration will be managed by a private, non-profit registry, EURid, on a "first come first served" principle, and in co-operation with a network of accredited registrars.