- At its recent 174th meeting, the Executive Board of RIPE NCC, the Regional Internet Registry for Europe and the Middle East, asked the community to vote on three charging scheme options, all of which increased fees by up to 22%.
- The role and function of the RIPE NCC Executive Board are crucial within the organisation’s framework, with its seven members acting as representatives of the membership and providing essential guidance to management.
- The Executive Board plays a pivotal role in approving activity plans and budgets, as well as appointing management, shaping the organisational leadership landscape.
The RIPE NCC Executive Board held its 174th meeting on 25 March 2024, and the board published the meeting minutes to ensure transparency to the membership.
Of most interest were the details of the ‘Charging Scheme 2025’, which RIPE asked members to vote on. “The members will be asked to vote on how to split the burden to provide the required income to fund the RIPE NCC activities,” RIPE said in a statement. “All three options in the charging scheme give a total expected income of €41.1 million. The Board will decide the cost side of the 2025 budget in December after consultation with the members at the October General meeting.”
The options presented were:
- Option A – Charging Scheme as is with 22.58% price increase for the annual contribution per LIR account (EUR 1,900) and a 0% price increase for Independent Internet number resource assignments* (EUR 50)
- Option B – Charging Scheme as is with 20.97% price increase for the annual contribution per LIR account (EUR 1,875) and a 50% price increase for Independent Internet number resource assignments* (EUR 75)
- Option C – Charging Scheme as is with 16.13% price increase for the annual contribution per LIR account (EUR 1,800), a 50% price increase for Independent Internet number resource assignments* (EUR 75) and a new AS Numbers fee of EUR 50 per assignment
What is the RIPE NCC Executive Board?
The Executive Board, comprising seven members, serves multiple pivotal roles within the RIPE NCC framework. These individuals act as representatives of the membership, offering guidance to the RIPE NCC Senior Management.
Furthermore, they bear the responsibility of overseeing the organisation’s financial matters, ensuring fiscal health and maintaining comprehensive records for ongoing evaluation.
The Executive Board is responsible for the RIPE NCC Activity Plan and Budget, aligning organisational strategies with operational objectives. They also hold the authority to appoint the RIPE NCC management, thereby shaping the leadership landscape of the organisation.
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Meeting highlights
As well as discussing the proposed options for the 2025 Charging Scheme, during the meeting, Hans Petter Holen provided an overview of developments since the previous Board meeting, highlighting completed audits and outlining upcoming initiatives.
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They deliberated on the establishment and registration of a Limited Liability Company in the Dubai free zone, which would be fully owned by the RIPE NCC in Amsterdam.
And 2FA will be enabled in the coming days for RIPE account holders, after a security breach in January: Orange Spain RIPE NCC account is hacked, questions asked of account security.
Simon-Jan Haytink, the chief financial officer, presented the financial reports for February 2024 and 2023, while Fergal Cunningham, head of membership engagement, shared the 2023 Annual Report and outlined the draft agenda for the upcoming General Meeting.
