ICANN – EU canʹt: Internet governance and Europeʹs role in the formation of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN)

This paper analyzes the policy process that led to the formation of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), focusing on the actions of the European Commission. The analysis of the relevant documents shows the difference between the regulatory ideas in the US and the EU. The European Commission would have preferred an institutional framework with a prominent role for public actors, but had to accept the preference of the US Government, which directed the institutionalization of a private regime for the management of Internet addresses and names. Nevertheless, the Commission managed to establish itself as a major player in the emerging field of Internet governance.