Plans to lock UK owners out of .eu domain names on hold

The plan to block UK citizens from accessing or registering .eu domain names has been suspended following the news that the EU and the UK have agreed a deal. Anna Tobin reports

Although the Withdrawal Deal between the UK and the EU has yet to be ratified by Parliament, the register of the .eu domain names EURid has put a hold on its plans to stop UK citizens from using their existing .eu domains or registering for new ones after 31st October 2019.

In the event of a no-deal Brexit, the European Commission specifies that the EU regulatory framework for the .eu domain will no longer cover UK individuals and entities.

Despite this move now being put on hold, it is recommended that owners of these domains look for alternatives as EURid has not specified how long this reprieve could last. UK registants of .eu domains have already reportedly fallen dramatically over the past few months.