News

Insights from 40 million domains in 10 ccTLDs reveal patterns behind domain renewals

Over the past few years, many CENTR members have observed changes in domain renewal behaviour. Many members saw a decline in the proportion of domains renewing during 2023-24. Even a small drop in renewal rates can have a significant financial impact, as a substantial share of registry revenue typically comes from renewals rather than new registrations. Additionally, stable and predictable renewal rates support more accurate financial planning.

Updates on abuse mitigation efforts

In January 2026, the gNSO adopted the PDP Charter for Associated Domain Check, which effectively initiated policy development work on DNS abuse. This PDP is expected to introduce new requirements for registrars to proactively check domains associated with malicious activity. The PDP will define the associated domain check’s triggers, scope, timeline, reasonableness, safeguards, documentation, and compliance metrics.

In a nutshell: The European Commission published a Submarine Cable Security Toolbox and Cable Projects of European Interest, 2026 Annual Single Market and Competitiveness Report, an IPRED study, and a counter terrorism strategy. The European Parliament held a hearing on CPC Regulation reform. The Council of the EU adopted a position on the 2030 Consumer Agenda. EDPB adopted a report on the right to be forgotten. EDPB, jointly with EDPS, adopted an opinion on the Digital Omnibus proposal. NIS Cooperation Group adopted an ICT supply chain toolbox. EU Member States published non-papers on competitiveness.

The 2026 CENTR Jamboree will take place in Berlin from the 6 to the 8 May 2026.

We will repeat last year’s process with contributions from participants to shape our agenda. Both members and non-members are therefore invited to submit proposals for sessions. We are excited to announce the Call for Proposals, and we invite you to be an active contributor to this event that brings the whole community together. 

CENTR issues Board statement on the EU action plan on fighting online fraud

The 124rd IETF meeting took place in Montreal, Canada between 1 and 7 November 2025 with over 150 sessions, a 2-day hackathon, and a wide range of side events. Pawel Kowalik and Christian Simmen from DENIC attended the meeting and have written a summary of the main points of relevance for the CENTR members.

In a nutshell: Cyprus took over the presidency in the Council of the EU. The EU institutions agreed on the EU legislative priorities. The European Commission is seeking input on tackling online fraud, open-source strategy and is assessing further steps to curb online piracy of sports and other live events. The Commission also published its proposals for the Cybersecurity Act 2.0, NIS2 amendments, and the Digital Networks Act. The Council of the EU published a statement on European competitiveness. The European Parliament is finalising its views on the upcoming 28^th regime for innovative companies. Crafts and industrial GIs can be registered under the new protection scheme.

In a nutshell: The European Commission published the proposals on Digital Omnibus and the European Business Wallet and unveiled the strategy of the European Democracy Shield. The Commission also published its report on the necessity of a domain name information and alert system for the agricultural geographical indications, and launched a call for applications for a Multi-Stakeholder Forum on Internet Standards Deployment. In addition, the European Commission is seeking views from the public on the upcoming reform of EU public procurement, and on further Digital Fitness Check in line with its simplification agenda. The EU institutions reached an agreement on the Insolvency Directive proposal and the Payment Services Regulation. EU Member States signed a declaration for European Digital Sovereignty.

At its 74th General Assembly, CENTR engaged with the European Commission on aligning EU digital policy with global standards and supporting an open, resilient internet ecosystem. CENTR welcomed Xavier Coget, Member of the Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, as keynote speaker at its 74th General Assembly, held in Brussels.

In a nutshell: The European Commission presented its 2026 work programme, the report on simplification, the Apply AI Strategy, a report on submarine cable security, the Cloud Sovereignty Framework, and together with EDPB published joint guidelines on DMA and GDPR. In addition, the European Commission is consulting on the upcoming EU Quantum Act. The European Council shared conclusions on simplification and sovereign digital transition. EU digital ministers agreed on a declaration on online protection of minors. ENISA published the annual Threat Landscape report. ESMA and EBA published the 2026 work programme.