New EU website addesses on offer

Irish businesses will be able to register for new website addresses from today as part of a new European internet domain.

Anyone with a residence in the European Union can apply to open an internet site under the .eu domain.

Europa, the EU institutions’ website, and all EU officials’ e-mail addresses will switch over to using .eu names from May 9.

“Europe’s competitive knowledge society will become very visible to the world on the internet,” Information Society and Media Commissioner Viviane Reding.

“Europe and its citizens can now project their own web identity, protected by EU rules. I expect thousands of applications to be filed in the first few hours’ public ‘land rush’, making .eu a powerful domain name on equal footing with .com.”

Registration costs will vary across the EU, with total fees charged as low as €12 in some cases.

The commissioner advised customers to shop around between registrars for the best deal on price, quality and services offered.

Ms Reding said if two applicants apply for the same domain name the .eu Registry will record the application it received first.