At the opening of the annual agriculture and food fair, which has become an institution unto itself, Mariann Fischer Boel promised to plough some 100 billion euros into the EU's rural areas between 2007 and 2013.

The Danish Commissioner said it was particularly important to support small and medium-sized companies in the service and child care sectors. "Children in the countryside are the future," Fischer Boel said.

"If we fail in developing rural Europe, which constitutes some 90 percent of the union's geographical make-up, it would be a slap in the face for employment and environmental protection," she added.

En-route to reform

In response to Fischer Boel's comments, Germany's Minister for Consumer Protection, Renate Künast said she would try to dig up some money for the promotion of rural areas. The two politicians have expressed a mutual wish to see agreement reached on both the EU agriculture reform and the overhaul of the bloc's sugar industry.

Head of the Farmers' Association Gerd Sonnleitner appealed to the German government not to make life more difficult for the country's farmers, warning against further EU regulations, and calling for lower taxes and social insurance contributions.

In an interview with Germany's public broadcaster, ZDF, Sonnleitner said the government's policy towards farmers had been largely disappointing. He said he was pleased to see the chancellor campaigning for the automobile or airbus industry, but added that "farming is also economy."

Safe eating

Künast responded to the comments by saying she has already campaigned sufficiently for Germany's farmers.

The minister has pledged to become more involved in the safety of "new foods," promising to scrutinize the additives which are so often a part of them. She said that although such foods are often described by their manufacturers as low fat or low calorie, it is still unclear exactly how such additives affect human health, or how they react when consumed in conjunction with certain medicines.

In her speech to mark the opening of Green Week, which showcases products from more than 1,600 exhibitors from 55 different countries, Künast said she hoped 2005 would be the year of international justice. "The Doha round of trade talks has to stick to its promise and concentrate on developing countries," she said.