Mr Roger Knox, Member of East Lothian Council, EA Group coordinator for EDUC Commission has been appointed rapporteur for the CoR opinion on the "European Plan for Research and Innovation: European 2020 Flagship Initiative Innovation Union". Innovation is the best means of successfully tackling major societal challenges, such as climate change, energy and resource scarcity, health and ageing, which are becoming more urgent by the day. The innovation is at the core of the Europe 2020 Strategy, which was agreed by Member States at the June 2010 European Council, underpinning the smart, sustainable and inclusive growth the Strategy is aiming for. The "Innovation Union" is one of the seven flagships announced in the Europe 2020 Strategy. It aims to improve conditions and access to finance for research and innovation, to ensure that innovative ideas can be turned into products and services that create growth and jobs.