The European Union will have its very own internet domain as of next week and it is expected that companies will rush into registering the addresses they desire.

EU Information Society Commissioner Viviane Reding said she and her colleagues expect a real rush as several hundred thousand applications should pour in during the first few days. However, the Commissioner still recommends companies to hurry and reserve the address they want as soon as possible.

The ".EU" domain is meant to create a clearer identity for all companies inside the European Union which already have online visibility but are defined by domains of the countries they're from or on the global .com domain, which is mostly associated with the United States.

Registration for ".EU" names begins on December 7 at 10 a.m. GMT, and such names can be used immediately. Until February, only certain rights holders such as registered trademark owners, public bodies and companies can register. After February 2, the ".EU" domain will be open for family names and the general registration will work on a first-come, first-served basis.