AFNIC launches a public survey on making .fr available to European Union

Press release
Saint Quentin en Yvelines, July 12th 2010

Updated on September 8th, 2010

From 12 July to 12 26 September 2010, AFNIC is launching a major public consultation on the opening of the .fr top level domain to businesses and individuals residing within the European Union. To coincide with plans to open the .fr top level domain to Europe late 2011, the consultation will allow everyone to express their views on the changes to be made to the process for registering .fr top level domain.

How to check registrant identity, what checks need to be made, how long should registrants be given to respond… these are just three of the nine major themes that AFNIC is using to unveil its proposals concerning the opening of .fr top level domain in Europe. This questionnaire should allow internet users, registrars, registrants, intellectual property firms, and so on, to voice their opinions on the following :   

• information to be provided by domain name registrants ;

• compliance criteria ;

•  initiating compliance checks ;

•  respective roles of AFNIC and registrars ;

•  response times granted to registrants ;

• consequences of the compliance checks ;

• information to the public on data acuracy ;

• updating of administrative data ;

• administrative contact ;

The public consultation on the opening of .fr in Europe is part of AFNIC's responsibility as the government-appointed .fr registry. AFNIC is due to open the .fr top level domain  to businesses and individuals residing within the European Union within two years. AFNIC is also committed to ensuring open and transparent dialogue - including  calling for public comments - as part of its policy decision process. The launch of the public consultation follows the talks debate in  General Assembly on 11 June.

Your time to speak !

You are an Internet user, a registrant, a registrar, an intellectual property law office, or other, do not hesitate, you can help shape this policy.

You can participate by answering our questionnaire, even partially, and send your contribution before September 12th 26th, 2010:

• by e-mail to:
  consultation@afnic.fr ; Subject : AFNIC - Survey on availibility of .fr to European Union


• by post to:
  AFNIC, Immeuble International, 78181 St Quentin en Yvelines cedex, France.

Download the survey on availibility of .fr to European Union (233 Ko)
This file can be open, filled and saved with Adobe Acrobat Reader, available for free.

URL : http://www.afnic.fr/data/actu/public/2010/afnic-survey-fr-europe-2010-07-12.pdf

AFNIC will publish a summary of the answers - all replies will obviously remain strictly anonymous.

The results of this request for comments will be used to structure the dialogue process that AFNIC will organise in the autumn as part of its consultative committees, with a view to possible ratification of the opening policy before the end of 2010. Registrations are expected to be opened to European businesses and residents before the end of 2011.

Update on September 8th, 2010:  Deadline extended to September 26th, 2010.

About AFNIC

(Association Française pour le Nommage Internet en Coopération)

Non-profit organization, AFNIC is in charge of the administrative and technical management of the .fr (France) and .re (Reunion Island) Internet domain names.
AFNIC brings together public and private members: representatives from the French government, Internet users and Internet Service Providers (Registrars).
Further information.