IE-Annual-Report-2023

Policy Development The Company mirrors the international multi-stakeholder philosophy and principles within its policy development structures and has adopted a bottom-up, consensus- driven, and consultative approach to all .ie namespace policy matters. The Policy Advisory Committee The Policy Advisory Committee (PAC) was established by the Company in July 2014, to provide a forum to consider and provide advice to the .ie Board of Directors on policy change requests. The PAC operates under its specific Terms of Reference and follows the published 10-step Policy Development Process (PDP). The PAC considers all policy change- requests submitted for review, and where consensus is reached for a change, it also advises on the implementation of such policy change-requests. The members of the PAC are stakeholders with an interest in the .ie namespace and its policies. The membership includes representatives from eligible organisations. That list was extended in 2019, with the welcome addition of CyberSafeKids and IRISS (the Irish Reporting and Information Security Service), who joined the .ie accredited Registrars, the Department of Communications (DECC), Enterprise Ireland, the Small Firms Association (SFA), the Law Society, the Internet Service Providers Association of Ireland (ISPAI), the Department of Enterprise (DETE), the Irish Computer Society (ICS) and the Association of Patent and Trademark Attorneys (APTMA). Discussions with regulatory bodies or public consultations take place when these are considered useful by the PAC working group which is considering the topic. The Committee convened on four occasions in 2023, using a mix of virtual and in-person attendance options. The PAC has maintained the strong levels of meeting attendance and engagement evident since its inaugural meeting in 2015. This has been vital to the progression of the various policy change discussions, as has the diverse expertise, experience and knowledge of the Committee members. The commitment of the PAC in adhering to the bottom-up, consensus-driven, multi stakeholder-led PDP has been invaluable in the progression of the policy changes. Entering its tenth year of operation, the PAC will build on the achievements and milestones of previous years. Unfortunately, 2023 was marked by tragedy with the sudden passing of PAC Member Ciarán Morris. Ciarán had served on the PAC as a Registrar Representative from 2019 and is greatly missed by his colleagues. Major developments in 2023 In 2023, the PAC began to prepare for the upcoming transposition of the Network and Information Security Directive (NIS2) in earnest. The NIS2 Directive strengthens and harmonises cybersecurity obligations across EU Member States and was formally adopted in November 2022. It came into force in the early weeks of 2023, beginning a 21-month countdown for Member States to transpose its requirements into national law by 17 October 2024. A dedicated PAC Working Group for NIS2 met each quarter to discuss developments and updates they had heard through their respective channels, as well as to discuss the strategic policy direction that .ie should take in response to NIS2. The NIS2 WG developed a roadmap based on 3 strategic pillars to guide the PAC’s work: ▶ Alignment: Ensuring that .ie’s policies are aligned with NIS2 requirements; ▶ Advocacy: Presenting the concerns and needs of .ie Registrars to relevant policy makers; and, ▶ Awareness: Arranging information sessions and webinars, sharing analysis and impact assessments and other materials to inform Registrars. The Policy Advisory Committee has been closely following NIS2’s progression and is building awareness and advocating to insulate SMEs from adverse disruptive and costly effects of this legislation. Besides preparing for NIS2, the PAC also continued to lead important discussions that guide .ie’s approach to navigating legislation like the Digital Services Act, eEvidence Regulation, and Regulations on CIGIs – Geographical Indications for Craft and Industrial Products. “The multi-stakeholder composition of the Policy Advisory Committee affords the possibility of making bottom-up, consensus- driven recommendations to the .ie Board on a range of key issues pertaining to Ireland’s Internet Governance.” Fergal O’Byrne, Chairman, .IE Policy Advisory Committee IIA Internet Hall of Fame Inductee 2015 Governance IE Domain Registry CLG t/a .IE / Annual Report & Review 2023 14