08/03/2004 (Agence Europe) - The Committee of the Regions insists on how important it is to support the role of women in rural areas. After having organised a seminar last week in Sweden on this issue, the Committee said "the creation of equal opportunities for men and women is a prerequisite for a successful rural development policy and achieving sustainable growth in the countryside". The Committee stresses that there are lessons to be learnt from positive experience gained from the EU initiatives LEADER and EQUAL.