BRUSSELS - THE European Commission launched its own channel on YouTube last week saying it wanted to spread messages about topics such as climate change and human rights.

But the video clip scoring the most hits by a large margin features nudity, dim lighting and some heavy breathing.

European Union officials said the 44-second clip showcases the strong emotions featured in European films, but the sexual content has raised concern among some EU lawmakers.

The clip - titled Film Lovers Will Love This! - has been viewed more than 280,000 times, while the next most popular video on the EUTube channel - a humanitarian aid clip called Reaching Out to Lend a Hand - has fewer than 30,000 views.

'Cheap, tawdry and tacky,' was the reaction of Mr Godfrey Bloom of Britain's euro-sceptic UK Independence Party, who described the clip as 'soft porn' and a potential waste of taxpayers' money.

The commission's foray onto the popular video-sharing website, he said, 'was like watching an elderly relative trying to be cool: very embarrassing'.

But commission spokesman Martin Selmayr said the shots in the clip - drawn from award-winning films such as Amelie and Bad Education - highlighted Europe's tradition of rich cinema.

Mr Selmayr also said that he had not received any complaints about the video, which was presented at the Berlin Film Festival in February as part of a four-clip media campaign. The other three highlight joy, sadness and friendship.

ASSOCIATED PRESS