A year on from its inception, the European regional top level domain has had mixed success. Despite the registry Eurid claiming that the number of .eu addresses has exceeded all expectations, it boasts only half the registrations of the .uk domain, and remains gnat-sized next to .com and .net.

Nearly three-quarters of the 2.6 million current .eu domains have been registered by organisations rather than individuals, but the number who actually use them in earnest is tiny. The early rush for .eu domains was due in part to firms defensively registering their brand before anyone else could, and many .eu suffixes simply ferry the user to an existing .com or .uk site.

While few organisations desire a European identity, many might welcome a suitable industry-specific domain with strictly enforced eligibility requirements, along the lines of the current .aero. A .bank domain for financial institutions, as proposed last week by F-Secure, would make immediate sense. It would serve a practical purpose by making life much harder for phishers, and in reassuring customers of the validity and safety of content.