The Impact of Brexit on EU Domain Names

The Impact of Brexit on EU Domain names

Brexit has only just come into effect and many small businesses in the UK are feeling the effects. The British media is full of stories of trucks being stranded in Dover and Calais, and issues with importation and delivery fees. The most absurd being a woman living in France, whose usual cost for her grocery delivery from the UK was £12, now being quoted £2,012. Clearly, a lot of disruption is ahead for all those businesses involved in importing and exporting between the UK and EU. 

The Withdrawal of 81,000 .EU domains

Brexit hasn’t just impacted the delivery services of online businesses. The UK’s departure from the EU has also lead to Britain being locked out from the .EU domain. Certain domain names can only be held by specific people and institutions that meet specific criteria. For instance .gov domain names can only be used by United States governmental entities and agencies. The .EU domain can only be used on sites based in the EU or owned by EU citizens.

The registry manager of .eu domain Eurid, has suspended 81,000 EU domain names registered in the UK. The owners of these domains have until 21 March 2021 to prove that they have transferred the .eu domain to an EU-subsidiary outside the UK; or citizenship or residence of an EU member state. UK residents who are EU domain name owners looking for more information on this should go here.

The most high-profile website impacted by this post Brexit change was the pro-Brexit political site leave.eu who ironically had to shift ownership of the website to an EU member state, Ireland, to avoid having the domain withdrawn. It’s certain that many of 50,000  owners of these domains will not be able to prove illegibly. EU businesses interested in buying any of the EU domains when they become available should put the 1st January 2022 in their diaries. 

We wish all small EU and UK businesses the best of luck in negotiating this difficult transition period. We will keep you informed on all the latest Digital Marketing news impacting small businesses. Stay tuned to the rankingCoach blog.