On 1st February 2020, the United Kingdom left the European Union. The Withdrawal Agreement provides for a transition period until 31 December 2020. During the transition period, undertakings and organisations established in the United Kingdom and United Kingdom residents and citizens will continue to be able to hold and register a .eu domain name. The plan outlined below will apply as from the end of the transition period.
According to Article 4 (2) (b) of Regulation (EC) No 733/2002, as amended by Regulation (EU) 2019/517, the following persons, undertakings and organisations are eligible to register .eu domain names:
- a Union citizen, independently of their place of residence;
- a natural person who is not a Union citizen and who is a resident of a Member State;
- an undertaking that is established in the Union; or
- an organisation that is established in the Union, without prejudice to the application of national law.
After the end of the transition period:
- United Kingdom undertakings or organisations established in the United Kingdom but not in the Union,
- United Kingdom citizens who are not resident of a Union Member State,
- and United Kingdom residents who are not Union citizens (hereinafter ‘UK registrants’) will no longer be eligible to hold a .eu domain name.
The transition period will end on 31 December 2020. At the end of the transition period, EURid (the governing body for .eu domains) will enforce the following measures:
1. New registrations
As from 1 January 2021, EURid will NOT allow the registration of any new domain name by UK registrants.
From that date, EURid will allow neither the transfer, nor the transfer through update, of any domain name to a UK registrant.
2. Existing registrations
Existing Registrations must demonstrate their compliance with the .eu regulatory framework by updating their registration data before 31 December 2020. They could do so by indicating a legally established entity in one of the eligible Union Member States, or updating their residence to a Union Member State, or proving their citizenship of a Union Member State irrespective of their residence.
On 21 December 2020, EURid will notify by email all UK registrants who did not demonstrate continued compliance with the eligibility criteria and their registrars about the risk of forthcoming non-compliance with the .eu regulatory framework.
On 1 January 2021, EURid will notify by email all UK registrants and their registrars that their domain name is no longer compliant with the .eu regulatory framework and therefore, it is moved to the so-called “SUSPENDED” status until 31 March 2021. A domain name in the “SUSPENDED” status can no longer support any service (such as website and email), but may still be reinstated if registration data is updated to meet the eligibility criteria.
On 1 April 2021, EURid will once again notify by email all UK registrants and their registrars that their domain name is no longer compliant with the .eu regulatory framework and consequently is moved to the so-called “WITHDRAWN” status. A domain name in the “WITHDRAWN” status is not in the zone file and cannot support any service.
On 1 January 2022, all the domain names in the “WITHDRAWN” status, formerly assigned to UK registrants, will be REVOKED and subsequently, become AVAILABLE for general registration. Their release will occur in batches for security reasons.
PLEASE NOTE:
European Union citizens who are residing in the United Kingdom will remain eligible to hold a .eu domain name after the end of the transition period provided they update their registration data with their EU citizenship. Please consult the FAQ: How can I update my registration based on my citizenship?
United Kingdom citizens residing in a European Union Member State will continue to be eligible to hold a .eu domain name after the transition period based on their residence. However, United Kingdom citizens residing outside of the Union Member States, will no longer be eligible to hold a .eu domain name after the end of the transition period.
(1)Should the transition period be extended for up to 1 or 2 years in accordance with Article 132 of the Withdrawal Agreement, the specific dates of present plan should be adapted accordingly.
