Legal provisions of COM(2000)827 - Implementation of the Internet Top Level Domain ".EU"

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dossier COM(2000)827 - Implementation of the Internet Top Level Domain ".EU".
document COM(2000)827 EN
date April 22, 2002


Contents

Article 1 - Objective and scope

1. The objective of this Regulation is to implement the.eu country code Top Level Domain (ccTLD) within the Community. The Regulation sets out the conditions for such implementation, including the designation of a Registry, and establishes the general policy framework within which the Registry will function.

2. This Regulation shall apply without prejudice to arrangements in Member States regarding national ccTLDs.

Article 2 - Definitions

For the purposes of this Regulation:

(a) 'Registry' means the entity entrusted with the organisation, administration and management of the.eu TLD including maintenance of the corresponding databases and the associated public query services, registration of domain names, operation of the Registry of domain names, operation of the Registry TLD name servers and dissemination of TLD zone files;

(b) 'Registrar' means a person or entity that, via contract with the Registry, provides domain name registration services to registrants.

Article 3 - Characteristics of the Registry

1. The Commission shall:

(a) establish, in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 6(3), the criteria and the procedure for the designation of the Registry;

(b) designate, in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 6(2), the Registry after publishing a call for expressions of interest in the Official Journal of the European Communities and after the procedure for such call has been completed;

(c) enter into, in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 6(2), a contract which shall specify the conditions according to which the Commission supervises the organisation, administration and management of the.eu TLD by the Registry. The contract between the Commission and the Registry shall be limited in time and renewable.

The Registry may not accept registrations until the registration policy is in place.

2. The Registry shall be a non-profit organisation, formed in accordance with the law of a Member State and having its registered office, central administration and principal place of business within the Community.

3. Having obtained the prior consent of the Commission, the Registry shall enter into the appropriate contract providing for the delegation of the.eu ccTLD code. To this effect the relevant principles adopted by the Governmental Advisory Committee shall be taken into account.

4. The.eu TLD Registry shall not act itself as Registrar.

Article 4 - Obligations of the Registry

1. The Registry shall observe the rules, policies and procedures laid down in this Regulation and the contracts referred to in Article 3. The Registry shall observe transparent and non-discriminatory procedures.

2. The Registry shall:

(a) organise, administer and manage the.eu TLD in the general interest and on the basis of principles of quality, efficiency, reliability and accessibility;

(b) register domain names in the.eu TLD through any accredited.eu Registrar requested by any:

(i) undertaking having its registered office, central administration or principal place of business within the Community, or

(ii) organisation established within the Community without prejudice to the application of national law, or

(iii) natural person resident within the Community;

(c) impose fees directly related to costs incurred;

(d) implement the extra-judicial settlement of conflicts policy based on recovery of costs and a procedure to resolve promptly disputes between domain name holders regarding rights relating to names including intellectual property rights as well as disputes in relation to individual decisions by the Registry. This policy shall be adopted in accordance with Article 5(1) and take into consideration the recommendations of the World Intellectual Property Organisation. The policy shall provide adequate procedural guaranties for the parties concerned, and shall apply without prejudice to any court proceeding;

(e) adopt procedures for, and carry out, accreditation of.eu Registrars and ensure effective and fair conditions of competition among.eu Registrars;

(f) ensure the integrity of the databases of domain names.

Article 5 - Policy framework

1. After consulting the Registry and following the procedure referred to in Article 6(3), the Commission shall adopt public policy rules concerning the implementation and functions of the.eu TLD and the public policy principles on registration. Public policy shall include:

(a) an extra-judicial settlement of conflicts policy;

(b) public policy on speculative and abusive registration of domain names including the possibility of registrations of domain names in a phased manner to ensure appropriate temporary opportunities for the holders of prior rights recognised or established by national and/or Community law and for public bodies to register their names;

(c) policy on possible revocation of domain names, including the question of bona vacantia,

(d) issues of language and geographical concepts;

(e) treatment of intellectual property and other rights.

2. Within three months of the entry into force of this Regulation, Member States may notify to the Commission and to the other Member States a limited list of broadly-recognised names with regard to geographical and/or geopolitical concepts which affect their political or territorial organisation that may either:

(a) not be registered, or

(b) be registered only under a second level domain according to the public policy rules.

The Commission shall notify to the Registry without delay the list of notified names to which such criteria apply. The Commission shall publish the list at the same time as it notifies the Registry.

Where a Member State or the Commission within 30 days of publication raises an objection to an item included in a notified list, the Commission shall take measures, in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 6(3), to remedy the situation.

3. Before starting registration operations, the Registry shall adopt the initial registration policy for the.eu TLD in consultation with the Commission and other interested parties. The Registry shall implement in the registration policy the public policy rules adopted pursuant to paragraph 1 taking into account the exception lists referred to in paragraph 2.

4. The Commission shall periodically inform the Committee referred to in Article 6 on the activities referred to in paragraph 3 of this Article.

Article 6 - Committee

1. The Commission shall be assisted by the Communications Committee established by Article 22(1) of Directive 2002/21/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 March 2002 on a common regulatory framework for electronic communications networks and services (Framework Directive)(6). Until the Communications Committee is established pursuant to Decision 1999/468/EC, the Commission shall be assisted by the Committee established by Article 9 of Council Directive 90/387/EEC of 28 June 1990 on the establishment of the internal market for telecommunication services through the implementation of open network provision(7).

2. Where reference is made to this paragraph, Articles 3 and 7 of Decision 1999/468/EC shall apply, having regard to the provisions of Article 8 thereof.

3. Where reference is made to this paragraph, Articles 5 and 7 of Decision 1999/468/EC shall apply, having regard to the provisions of Article 8 thereof.

The period laid down in Article 5(6) of Decision 1999/468/EC shall be set at three months.

4. The Committee shall adopt its rules of procedure.

Article 7 - Reservation of rights

The Community shall retain all rights relating to the.eu TLD including, in particular, intellectual property rights and other rights to the Registry databases required to ensure the implementation of this Regulation and the right to re-designate the Registry.

Article 8 - Implementation report

The Commission shall submit a report to the European Parliament and the Council on the implementation, effectiveness and functioning of the.eu TLD one year after the adoption of this Regulation and thereafter every two years.

Article 9 - Entry into force

This Regulation shall enter into force on the day of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities.


This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.