On 6 June 2012, Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) has been formally launched worldwide. On this occasion, the European Commission highlighted that the "Europa" website IPv6 is accessible from 8 June 2011. Furthermore, deploying IPv6 is a key action under the Digital Agenda for Europe.

Coexisting alongside Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4), Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) has been launched worldwide on 6 of June 2012. The European Commission stressed that deploying IPv6 is a key action under the Digital Agenda for Europe because unless the existing Internet infrastructure is upgraded to IPv6, the Internet would slow down as a result of its own success. IPv6 offers many technical advantages such as the simplified deployment of IP security, standard routing, and the plug & play capability.

Less than 3% of all websites in the EU are IPv6-compatible, according to the IPv6 indicator in the Digital Agenda Scoreboard 2011. The European Commission is encouraging research projects and practical deployment pilots funded by the Seventh Framework Programme Research and Technological Development (FP7). The Commission has already invested €100 million in IPv6 research, financing more than 30 European R&D projects directly related to IPv6 and to the deployment of IPv6 connectivity in GEANT since 2008, the European research network (which began running IPv6 in 2002). In addition, it has made the "Europa" website IPv6 accessible from 8 June 2011.

The Internet Protocol is the key by which data is addressed and routed in small packets across networks. This protocol makes Internet and World Wide Web browsing a relatively seamless experience. The final IPv4 addresses allocated to Europe (out of a total of 4.3 billion globally) will be handed out this month. Therefore updating the protocol is essential to ensure there are enough internet addresses for all the computers, mobiles and other devices people need to connect to Internet, and to ensure higher levels of security. IPv6 makes available a practically unlimited number of addresses (340 trillions of trillions of trillions).