The Commission supports committed journalism with the  launch of Lorenzo Natali Prize in its 16th edition. This prize is awarded to journalists defending human rights, democracy and development. This year it is open to all journalistic media: radio, television, written press, Internet.

Journalists wishing to enter may do so up to 30 June 2008 in the website of the prize. Prizes will be awarded in November at a special ceremony to be attended by European Commissioner Louis Michel during the European Development Days in Strasbourg. €50,000 in prize money for journalists from Africa, Europe, Maghreb/Middle East, Asia and Latin America/Caribbean.

The call for proposal was opened last 27 March 2008 and it is opened until 30th June 2008.

The European Commission has been organizing the Natali Prize since 1992 so as to reward journalists implied in the defence of Human Rights, Democracy and the Development. More specifically it is DG Development and relations with African, Caribbean and Pacific States (DG DEV) of the European Commission which is in charge of its organisation.

To help in organising the Lorenzo Natali Prize, the European Commission is this year working with two of the world's best-known press associations:

• Reporters Without Borders, winner of the Sakharov Prize for freedom of thought in 2005.
• World Association of Newspapers, representing a total of over 18,000 publications across five continents.