The European Union (EU) Friday launched a new civil society platform for the promotion of multilingualism. It is intended to promote a permanent dialogue between the European Commission (EC) and civil society on different aspects of the multilingualism policy, the EC said. The platform also aims to encourage public debate on the best ways to promote the widespread use of different languages. 'The importance of languages in the pursuit of social cohesion and overcoming barriers to integration cannot be overstated,' said Commissioner Leonard Orban at the launch of the platform. Within the context of the European Year of Creativity and Innovation 2009, the EC has highlighted how language skills can contribute to fostering social and individual well-being. 