Commission launches European Radio Network[de] 

As early as April 2008, 16 radio stations in 13 countries and ten languages will go on air, the Commission announced on 26 February. The aim is to gradually increase coverage to all 23 official EU languages within five years. 

The Commission says it will allocate an annual €5.8 million to the project. 

Present at the launch was Commission Vice-President in charge of communications Margot Wallström, as well as the presidents of Deutsche Welle, RFI and Radio Netherlands International, who welcomed the "enriching experience which the contributions and broader perspective of the consortium partners will bring to the citizens of the 27 countries of the EU in lively, well documented programmes on questions relating to Europe." 

The project is seen as a key part of the EU's new communication strategy launched by Commissioner Wallström in 2005, largely in reaction to the rejection of the European Constitution by France and the Netherlands and with a view to tackling citizens' increasing lack of trust in the EU project (EurActiv 21/09/05). 

Initially, the Commission expects to reach out to an audience of 12 to 19 million daily listeners in the EU as well as another 30 million throughout the rest of the world, although the aim is to increase the EU audience to around 30 million.