EU Web Addresses Activated

The European Union staked its claim on cyberspace Wednesday when the “.eu” Internet domain name opened for business, according to an Associated Press report.

Viviane Reding, EU Information Society and Media Commissioner, expects sign-ups to number in the hundreds of thousands within the first few days.  A number of national registries throughout Europe, such as the one in Belgium, home of EU headquarters, are running promotions to persuade Web surfers to stay local, the report said.

In the past, European Internet users had to select a national domain such as “.fr” for France or a global one like “.com.”

Not everyone is pleased.  Many folks see the new domain name as just another step toward European integration, a movement that is less than appealing to some traditionalists.

By Albert Sacco