Mr. Costas Kataras appointed to Eureto (Ireland) Board of Directors
Eureto Bid for European Domain Name Registry Announced

DUBLIN 18 September 2002 - Mr. Costas Kataras, the founder and CEO of the strategy consulting firm Strategic International SA (www.strategic.gr) and author of the book "The Global Village Information Poor" (www.costaskataras.gr) has been appointed as a Board Member of the Eureto (Ireland) non profit organization with the aim of bidding for the .eu the European Domain Name Registry.
Eureto officially launched its bid to run the European Domain Name Registry ".eu" out of Ireland today. This all Ireland bid is supported by Governments in the North and South and will have cross border operations. Eureto is also supported by the IDA, Enterprise Ireland and Invest Northern Ireland.
 
Following nine months preparation by Eureto's working group, the consortium also announced the appointment of its pan-European board of directors today. Eureto has a board of 9 directors, chaired by Paul Kavanagh with Sean Donlon, David Andrews, Dick Spring as the Irish Board Members and Rudi Bric, Jean-Christophe Le Toquin, Axel Pawlik, Costas Kataras and Eric Schaetzlein as the European Directors. This Board has been selected because of their European knowledge, CCTLD experience and their understanding of issues that govern the EU community.
 
"The market has changed so dramatically since 1999, that to successfully manage this registry, influence needs to come from outside the technology community, specifically from social and business partners," said Paul Kavanagh, Eureto chariman. "Our ability to successfully deliver on this bid is based on our understanding of the market and where the EU wants to go, to ensure that the new .eu domain supports and encourages eCommerce in Europe."
 
Kavanagh continued, "Eureto's objective is to provide the European Internet Community with a high quality, controlled and modularised solution that combines
best business practices with strong registry management skills."
"Recognising the cultural and linguistic differences across Europe, we are aiming through a strong and inclusive consultation process to deliver a robust, scalable and innovative registry operation, which will sponsor and drive the continuous evolution of European e-commerce. Eureto will encourage participation by the wider Internet community in the development of policy for registrations."
 
.eu Domain
The European Domain Name Registry will make .eu domain names available for purchase in 2003. Initially .eu domain names will only be available to Treaty of Rome member countries but once operational, there will be expansion to EEA countries and accession countries. The deadline for bids is October 25th with the decision on the winning bid being made later in the year.
 
In the first three months of operation, trademarks will have an opportunity to register their .eu name thus reducing the previous practice of cybersquating. Following this period, the .eu domain name will then be available to all. The .eu domain will coexist and complement all country-specific domain names.
 
Once established, the European Domain Name Registry will operate as an independent company, functioning independently from any Government involvement. The successful applicant will be awarded a five-year contract by the European Commission , which will be renegotiated in its final year. In the interim, the Registry will have to provide regular and specific updates to the EU on its performance.
 
If Eureto is successful in its bid, the location of the European Domain Name Registry in Ireland will have a number of benefits for the country explains Kavanagh. "If we succeed in this bid, Ireland will be at the centre of European eCommerce. All physical locations, some of which will be based in Ireland have been chosen including premises and infrastructure. We have also invested time in sourcing skills and training, which are all ready to mobilise should we be successful."
 
The European Union is expected to announce the result of the tender process in later this year.
 
 NOTES TO EDITORS
 
About Eureto
Eureto is a non-profit making company which was formed in 2002with the aim of bidding for the administration of ".eu" (the European Domain Name Registry) out of Ireland. Based on the breadth and depth of its pan-European Board and partner companies, Eureto is well positioned to provide the European Internet Community with a well orchestrated, inclusive registry management system which recognises cultural and linguistic differences. Its approach involves an ongoing consultation process which will deliver a modularised solution which can be easily extended to support Europe"s growing needs in terms of participation and eCommerce. Further information on Eureto can be gained from www.eureto.org.
 
 Eureto Board of Directors
Eureto has a board of 9 directors, chaired by Paul Kavanagh with Sean Donlon, David Andrews, Dick Spring as the Irish Board Members and Rudi Bric, Jean-Christophe Le Toquin, Axel Pawlik, Costas Kataras and Eric Schaetzlein as the European Directors. This Board has been selected because of their European knowledge, CCTLD experience and their understanding of issues that govern the EU community.
 
 Eureto Partners/Working Group
Working for this board is a secretariat. It will manage the quality and input of Eureto's partners which include Accenture, Irish Internet Association, Deloitte & Touche, Fleishman-Hillard Saunders, Lionbridge, PA Consulting Group, Ivor Fitzpatrick, and Four 5 One. This initiative has the full support of the I.D.A, Enterprise Ireland, and Invest Northern Ireland. Eureto is also endorsed by the Irish and UK Governments.
 
For more information on Eureto, please contact:
Niamh Lyons, Fleishman-Hillard Saunders
Tel: : +353 1 6188473
Mobile:: +353 87 2025470