Latest EURid report shows impressive renewal rate for ‘.eu’ domain names

EURid, the registry for the ‘.eu’ top-level domain (TLD), has recently published its Q4 2013 Progress Report. Contained within the report were positive results for the registration and renewal of ‘.eu’ domain names during Q4 2013.

The number of ‘.eu’ domain names registered during Q4 2013 increased by 9,502 domains, bringing the total number of ‘.eu’ domains registered to 3.71 million. Of these 3.71 million domain names, 51,996 were internationalised domain names and accounted for approximately 1.4% of all ‘.eu’ registrations. Also during Q4 2013, the total number of ‘.eu’ registrations increased in 19 of the 28 EU member states, with Croatia, Bulgaria, Malta and Latvia all experiencing growth of more than 3%.

However, what EURid considers most impressive is that approximately 80% of ‘.eu’ domain names were renewed in 2013. According to EURid, this is the seventh year running that ‘.eu’ domain names have had such a high renewal rate. Interestingly, the month of April always sees the highest numbers of domain names being deleted, although this is to be expected as April is the month when the ‘.eu’ TLD was officially launched eight years ago.

EURid general manager Marc Van Wesemael was quoted as saying that "internet users want to be able to express themselves online through TLDs that inspire feelings of trust, quality and security", and that "‘.eu’ has always had the reputation of being a quality and trustworthy domain, and the renewal rate is proof that our registrants feel the same way".

EURid will be hoping for similar or even better results in 2014, especially because residents, companies and organisations based in the European Economic Area have also been eligible to register domain names under the ‘.eu’ TLD since January 8 2014, along with any private person, company or organisation resident or domiciled in the European Union.  This means that residents, companies and organisations based in Iceland, Lichtenstein and Norway are now able to register ‘.eu’ domain names.

David Taylor and Tony Vitali, Hogan Lovells LLP, Paris