EURid and CENTR: sharing expertise on Europe's domain community

European domain name registries share many of the same challenges, from changing digital legislation and cybersecurity requirements to technical developments and evolving user needs. Exchanging experience and expertise helps them stay informed and find practical ways forward.

For EURid, collaboration with CENTR (the Council of European National Top-Level Domain Registries) is an important part of this work. CENTR brings together country code top-level domain (ccTLD) registries from across Europe, and beyond, through specialist working groups, workshops and events covering legal and regulatory affairs, marketing, technical operations, research and development, and business processes.

EURid actively participates in these activities, sharing its own experience while learning from the approaches and challenges of other European registries. These exchanges help our teams stay ahead of industry developments, identify opportunities for improvement and bring valuable insights into the way we manage and develop the .eu registry.

Legal and regulatory developments

European digital legislation continues to influence how domain name registries operate. CENTR's 2026 Legal & Regulatory Workshops provide a forum to discuss new requirements and exchange practical experience. At the 73rd workshop in Stockholm, hosted by Internetstiftelsen, EURid's Legal & Compliance Manager, Geo Van Langenhove, joined colleagues from other registries to discuss current legal and regulatory developments.

These exchanges help build a common understanding of emerging requirements and provide valuable insight into how different registries approach them.

Marketing and stakeholder engagement

Through CENTR's Marketing Workshops and Tour de Table, marketing and communications professionals exchange experiences and discuss topics ranging from promotional campaigns and registrar engagement to website development, audience behaviour and the use of AI in digital communications.

These discussions give EURid an opportunity to compare approaches, explore new ideas and learn how other registries are adapting their marketing activities, improving their online presence and using emerging technologies to reach and engage their audiences. They also help strengthen relationships between communications teams across Europe.

Business operations and product ownership

At the 61st CENTR Business Operations & Processes Workshop in Ljubljana, EURid's Service Assurance Manager, Thomas Tammegger, facilitated a Product Ownership Simulation Game. By connecting familiar working practices with product ownership concepts, the session encouraged participants to exchange experiences and consider how these approaches could be developed further within their organisations.

The practical exercise helped participants explore product ownership principles and recognise how these were already reflected in their everyday work, encouraging discussion about how to develop these practices further.

Technical development and DNS infrastructure

Technical workshops provide opportunities to discuss DNS quality, registry infrastructure, cybersecurity and operational resilience. At the CENTR Jamboree in Berlin, EURid colleagues contributed to sessions on long-term registry autonomy and continuous DNS quality assessment in the .eu zone.

EURid also participated in the 30th CENTR R&D Workshop in Riga, ahead of Baltic Domain Days, where technical specialists shared knowledge and discussed developments affecting internet infrastructure.

Putting shared knowledge into practice

The value of EURid's participation in CENTR goes beyond individual meetings and presentations. Regular exchanges with other European registries help our teams understand how peers address similar challenges, identify relevant developments and consider new approaches to their own work.

This can take different forms:

• Keeping up with regulatory change: exchanging knowledge about European legislation and its implications for domain name registries.

• Strengthening technical expertise: discussing DNS quality, registry infrastructure, cybersecurity and operational resilience.

• Improving business processes: learning from other registries' experiences in service assurance, product ownership and operational management.

• Developing communications: sharing ideas on stakeholder engagement, registrar relations and explaining technical or regulatory topics.

• Supporting research and innovation: exploring new technologies, emerging trends and opportunities for cooperation across the domain name industry.

The benefits also work both ways. Through CENTR, EURid remains connected to a wider network of European registry professionals. These ongoing relationships and exchanges help build shared expertise and support a stable, secure and resilient European domain name community.