At OpenSRS, .EU is an integral part of our business. Our strong presence throughout Europe means the domain extension, which is immediately recognizable across the continent, is one most of the most popular sold among our European resellers. And with the registry having now surpassed three million names under management, it is clear the extension resonates with European individuals and businesses.

Given .EU’s importance to us, I was very pleased to be appointed the North American representative to the registry’s Registrar Advisory Board earlier this year. EURid, the .EU registry operator, convenes a meeting of the Board three times a year to gather feedback from the registrar community. Discussion topics range from key registry performance metrics to upcoming features and releases, and can also involve a great deal of back and forth between attendees about the registry’s direction.

Overall, the discussions generally stay within the Board’s mandated scope, which is to (and I will borrow directly from the registry here):

• Advise the EURid Board on issues where the EURid Board might need to consult the registrar community;
• Consider and bring to the attention of the EURid Board any policy or operational issue that might be of future importance or affect the .EU domain space;
• Submit input to the long-term strategies;
• Channel the feedback of the larger stakeholder community into EURid;
• Help strengthen relationships with the registrar community;
• Support EURid in its interactions with other stakeholders.

As a representative of a registrar with a particularly unique business model, I try to keep my eyes and ears open for issues and topics that could have a particular impact on resellers. The Board, which is comprised largely of retail-focused registrars, can sometimes get deeply involved in discussions and suggestions that don’t necessarily fit well with reseller-focused business models. As such, I always try to make sure our view is heard.

To EurID’s credit, they could simply ignore the Board and its input, and continue operating the registry as they see fit. However, EURid staff and management are actively involved with the Board, and are constantly soliciting feedback. This is something few of the registries that registrars work with do on a regular basis.

Although I’m only a few months into a three-year mandate, I have found the experience thus far extremely valuable and rewarding. I look forward to continuing to help shape policy for one of the world’s largest ccTLDs in the future.