EU Throws Down Gauntlet To ICANN

A few weeks ago the EU Commissioner Viviane Reding published a video where she talked about the EU's views towards ICANN and internet governance. The video received quite a bit of attention at the time, but it wasn't an official position of the EU at that juncture ie. it was Ms Reding's.

Earlier today that changed when the EU issued an official release on the subject calling for "a more open, independent and accountable governance of the Internet".

The release comes at a time when the JPA, which in, simple terms, is the contract that ICANN has with the US government, is due to expire. While it will more than likely be renewed, the question is for how long, as many feel that ICANN needs to be less American. Of course that transition cannot happen overnight, so several parties have expressed their concerns about ICANN's readiness for any form of decoupling.

The full text of the EU's position can be found on their policy site