The European Parliament has launched a new Web-based TV channel on Wednesday, which aims to improve the Parliament's image, Lenta.ru reported. The channel hopes to appeal to a young audience and to reach between 20 and 40 million viewers.

"As we approach the European elections of June 2009, EuroparlTV should be an excellent Internet tool for citizens, especially young people, to keep themselves informed about the activities and decisions of the directly-elected European Parliament - decisions which have an impact on the everyday lives of almost 500 million European Union citizens,” said Parliament President Hans-Gert Pöttering.

EuropalTV is divided into four channels and will be available in more than 20 languages, according to Lenta.ru.

YourParliament focuses on an audience that has a deeper interest in politics, while YourVoice will inform the general public and provide the chance to offer user-generated content. Young Europe is intended for younger children, while Parliament Live will include live coverage of events and an archive of past sessions, Lenta.ru reported.

"EuroparlTV is a modern technology which helps to enable the democratic participation of every citizen, particularly young citizens, in European and national current affairs,” said Katerina Batzeli, Chair of the Commitee on Education and Culture.

The reasons for choosing an online TV channel, as opposed to a traditional one may be due to the convergence of media platforms. In this way, the channel spotlights a user's conveniences and not the broadcaster's. According to the European Parliament, it is also cheaper to do so.