Brussels, 04/09/2009 (Agence Europe) - Twelve songs out of around a hundred entrants have been chosen as finalists in the "Music against Poverty " competition launched by the European Commission in early July. The Commission's initiative has already been hugely successful. Nearly 100 songs from 20 different countries and in a wide range of styles, all on the theme of the fight against poverty, have been entered in the competition, which will close on 9 September at 9.09am. The composer of the song which gets the most votes of the 12 from internet voters (website: http://www.ifightpoverty.eu/index_fr.htm ), will win the chance to make a professional recording of the song and to appear publicly in Stockholm during the European Development Days 2009, to take place from 22-24 October. The initiative, which was organised by EuropeAid, the Commission's cooperation office, aims to raise awareness among young people aged between 15-30 of political development aid, by means of an interactive presentation on the website which features the songs in the competition. (I.L./transl.fl)