Lagging behind its smartphone peers somewhat in terms of app availability, US vendor Palm has announced the expansion of its webOS developer programme to Europe.

Following the launch of the programme in the US, which has seen about 600 new paid for apps available for Palm devices in the last two months, the firm is bringing it developer initiative to Europe – starting with the UK, Ireland, Spain and Germany from March.

“The general app catalog model is not new, but what we’re doing with it is,” said Palm. “We offer greater freedom and choice of how to get your applications to market and unparalleled control to promote and grow your business. For developers looking to make money, it’s all about speed, promotion, and reacting to customer feedback. Our platform gives you greater access to customers and faster cycle times to make higher-quality, compelling applications.”

As of the start of 2010, Palm has just over 1,000 applications available in its App Catalogue, which caters to webOS-enabled devices such as the Pre and the Pixi.