What does increasing EU integration mean for UK domainers?

[miked]

Have been wondering recently about the effect closer EU integration might have on UK domainers. Whether individually we may happen to be pro-EU or Eurosceptic, we can probably agree that the EU is growing ever closer, with financial and even political union possible. What does this mean for UK domainers?

Could it mean the eventual removal from Nominet of responsibility for .uk domains, with oversight being given to a pan-European institution? Could full political union mean the rescinding of all .uk domains? What would this mean for us?

Of course the above questions rest on the assumption that the UK will remain in the EU. But if the UK does, what should we do as domainers to prepare for these possibilities? If the above are possible should we, as a result, argue against Britain's participation in closer union?

I know this is a long way off, and I know that closer integration may not result in the scenarios I've described, but I think it's essential the debate is had just in case. Oh, and I'm not trying to push one point of view on Europe or the other... just wondering what thoughts anyone else has.

Mike.

 

[Nigel]

Integration hasn't proceeded as fast and as smoothly as a lot of Europe's politicians would like. From a domain point of view .de and .fr etc are going to be popular for a long time to come. A German looking for a loan or a holiday is still likely to prefer visiting a .de site than a .eu site and it's going to take many more years of brainwashing before that alters much. The .eu domain has hardly been used here in the UK and .co.uk is stronger than ever.

Here in the UK, we are still, on the whole, eurosceptic and I can't foresee see .uk being controlled from the EU. Fortunately UKIP do very well in the European elections (coming 2nd last year) every 5 years which acts as a very nice regular warning to the Government and the Tories that there is only so much integration that we're willing to put up with. Who knows, one day we might even get a vote whether we want to stay in the EU. It's long overdue.