I would like to welcome you to the European Commission's conference on Rural
Development to be held in Limassol, Cyprus on 16-17 October 2008.

This major event brings together ministers, farmers, NGOs, stakeholders and many other officials and experts in Rural Development policy.

The EU's Rural Development Policy has a crucial role to play in the rural areas of the 27 Member States, which cover 91 percent of the EU's territory and are home to approximately 56 percent of our population. Rural development is particularly important in view of present and future challenges: globalization, population trends, migration and climate change.

Recent and upcoming improvements of our Rural Development policies should better prepare and equip us to deal with the new challenges we face, and help us to create employment and growth in rural Europe. We hope that the increased relevance of rural development will also result in an increase of financial resources not least through our proposals on the Health Check of the Common Agricultural Policy, published on 20th May.

Rural Development policy is where I hear the music in the future. It has enormous potential.

Your expertise and insight is of great value to us, and I look forward to welcoming you to the conference.

Thank you.

Mariann Fischer Boel