.EU Domain Names
What is a .EU domain?
Although the European Union is not a country, the .EU domain is a top level country code (ccTLD). Formed in 1951, the European Union was originally comprised of 6 neighboring states. Today, the supranational organization includes 27 countries across the European continent. Although the EU is not a federation in the strict sense, it has many of the attributes associated with independent nations including its own flag, anthem, founding date, and currency, as well as a common foreign and security policy in its dealings with other nations.
The European Union spans a large area stretching from the Atlantic Ocean on the west to Russia, Belarus, and the Ukraine on the east. The combined land area covered is 1,669,807.7 square miles, an area about half the size of the United States. According to the July 2008 census, the combined population of the member states was 491,018,683. Due to the range or member states, there are many official languages for the Union; they are Bulgarian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, Gaelic, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, Slovene, Spanish, Swedish. Of these, German is the most widely spoken mother tongue, as it is the major language of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. About 19% of the EU population speaks it. English, however, is the most widely spoken, with 49% of the population conversant with it.
Why should I register a .EU domain name?
The European Union (EU) is comprised of 27 independent sovereign countries. If your company is already in business in Europe or looking to expand there, registering a .EU domain should be part of your business plan!
The .EU domain is mainly used for cross-border intentions. Many websites with the .EU extension are pan-European and draw attention to having a 'European identity'. This can be extremely important in showing loyalty to this part of the world. Instead of using a more generic TLD such as .COM or .NET, .EU proudly states your presence in Europe.
The European Union has over 500 million citizens and generates an estimated 30% of the world's nominal gross world product. Building your business on .EU domain names shows your involvement in the growing economy of the entire European Union. Instead of purchasing .DE (Germany), .UK (United Kingdom), .IT (Italy), etc, register a .EU and include all 27 countries!
Are there any restrictions for registering a .EU?
Registration is open to any person, company, or organization located within the European Union.