Network Solutions, an ICANN accredited registrar and a provider of web services, yesterday announced that it is now accepting pre-registration requests for .eu top-level domain names.

All .eu domain names pre-registered through Network Solutions or through Network Solutions Partners will be submitted to EURid, the registry for the new domain, at the start of the sunrise period. The sunrise period for .eu names has not been announced by EURid, but is expected to begin in the fourth quarter of 2005. Network Solutions Europe, a subsidiary of Network Solutions, was accredited on August 17, 2005 to sell .eu domain name registrations.

"The .eu top level domain is a tremendous opportunity for eligible organizations and individuals to identify an affiliation with the European Union through its domain name," said Champ Mitchell, chairman and CEO of Network Solutions. "Our pre-registration request queue for .eu domain names is one more way in which Network Solutions goes above and beyond to ensure that we meet the needs of our customers."

To be eligible to register a .eu name, applicants must meet certain requirements that have been established by the registry, including in-country presence.