"Europe has experienced its worst economic crisis since the 1930s. The only way to replace the jobs lost and to achieve a prosperous, green and fair economy in the future is to improve Europe's performance in innovation: in other words, develop new products and services that create wealth and improve quality of life. In particular, more innovation is necessary to tackle our century's defining challenges: climate change, energy and food security, health and the fact that the average age of Europe's population is increasing", Commissioner Geoghegan-Quinn explains why she wants to listen to your ideas on how Europe can be turned into an Innovation Union.

She will be online (pictures and sound) via the European Commission's Webcast Portal (http://webcast.ec.europa.eu/eutv/portal/chat_Geoghegan-Quinn) at 10:00-11:00 CET on 17 June, 2010. To take part in this interactive discussion, just go to the Webcast Portal at the right time.

You can send in your questions to rtd-innovation-union@ec.europa.eu, but you can also put them to the Commissioner via the Web Portal during the event.

The following languages will be in use: Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian and Spanish.

Source: European Commission.