Brexit Impact On .eu Domains
Government issues guidance for UK owners of .eu domain names
The government has urged UK owners of .eu domains to examine their options for transferring their websites to another top-level domain. They suggest alternatives such as .co.uk, .com, .net, and .org.
In their official guidance, the government warns that – in the event of a no-deal Brexit – owners of .eu domain names may not be able to hold onto their registration after the UK leaves the EU.
Only businesses with a registered office, principal place of business or a central administration located within the European Union will be legally entitled to register, hold and renew .eu domains.
UK businesses without an EU presence risk having existing .eu domains revoked, and will not be able to renew their .eu registration after:
- 30 March 2019 if the UK exits the EU with no deal
- 1 January 2021 if the UK exits the EU with a deal
Currently, there are 273,060 .eu registered sites in the UK.
The government urges owners of these sites to familiarise themselves with the rules regarding ownership of .eu domains in advance of the UK’s exit.
Businesses and individuals wishing to retain their .eu registrations, or obtain one in the future, should seek advice from their local domain name registrar or get legal counsel.
Read guidance on .eu domain name registrations in the event of a ‘no deal’ EU exit.
Source: nibusinessinfo.co.uk
