Tánaiste Welcomes New EU E-Commerce Rules TÁnaiste proposes .EU domain name for European Business

The European Union today (Tuesday, 7th December, 1999) agreed new rules for E-Commerce which will enable free trade in E-Commerce services across the Community. The newly agreed E-Commerce Directive ensures that member States cannot introduce "cyber-borders" for the sale of goods and services over the internet. In particular:

• Consumers are given additional protection in this Directive. Website owners will be required to give certain information about themselves including their geographical address
• Electronic contracts will have legal effect in Europe
• Internet carriers and Internet Service Providers who host websites will have limited liability.

Welcoming the Directive the Tánaiste Mary Harney said; "This Directive is good for Ireland and good for Europe, Ireland is a major centre for information technology and the internet is already commonplace. Already Irish business is making good progress in exploiting the new opportunities in E-Commerce. A recent Enterprise Ireland survey of their client companies shows that 50% buy on the internet and 41% sell on the internet.

We are well placed to take advantage of the new borderless E-Europe and I hope Irish enterprise large and small will exploit the new opportunities. Already a number of Irish companies in the food, gift and leisure areas are benefiting from the exciting new way of trading.

I am very pleased with these new rules for E-Commerce. This is one area which benefits from regulation. Traders and operators need legal certainty. Consumers need reassurance and rights in the E-Commerce world. I also believe that Europe should go further. I believe that European business would benefit from a top level domain name. We should consider .EU (dot EU) as a top level domain name and I will be making these proposals to my European colleagues on this matter. This proposal would be the equivalent of giving European business the benefit of a recognisable address of top level repute.”

Ireland will be moving very quickly to implement this Directive and we intend to publish a Bill implementing the most important aspects of this Directive early in the new year.