eCitizen Final seminar in Vaasa 22 November 2007

eGovernment has been the focus of the project “Challenge of eCitizen – Promoting eGovernment Actions in European Cities” for three years. As the project ended it was time to discuss whether the challenge of eCitizen was answered. How were eGovernment actions promoted during the project? What were the concrete results from the project? What challenges does the future offer in the field of eGovernment?

The final seminar discussing these questions took place in Vaasa, 22 November 2007. The seminar also offered a chance to familiarize with the results of eCitizen in four thematic areas: eManagement, eService, ePerticipation and awareness raising. The seminar will provide an excellent chance to discuss the questions still facing eGovernment development with project partners and other eGovernment experts.

More information about the event

EU Interregional Cooperation Forum – Introduction of Challenge of eCitizen project, Lisbon, 20-21 September 2007

EU Interregional Cooperation Forum – Celebrating INTERREG IIIC, Launching INTERREG IVC will have place on 20-21 September 2007 in Lisbon, Portugal.

The Forum will mark the launch of INTERREG IVC, the new programme for interregional cooperation, and show how INTERREG IIIC is already helping Europe's regions work together and improve regional development.

Up to 800 representatives of local and regional authorities and other public bodies, in addition to the European Parliament and Committee of the Regions, are expected to come to Lisbon from across the EU. The forum will bring together organisations interested in tackling similar issues, help them build and promote ideas for new projects, and show them how to apply for INTERREG IVC funding.

For full programme and workshop details, visit the forum website

On that Forum Katja Kaunismaa, BIF Project Director, will introduce Challenge of eCitizen –Promoting eGovernment Actions in European Cities project.

eCitizen presentation (pdf; 0,69MB)

Study tour to Tartu 6-8 September 2007

Components 3 and 4 organise a joint study tour in September, and invite all eCitizen partners to Tartu to familiarise with Tartu's views on Information society, its results and experiences in the project, as well as such current issues as eParticipation, project follow-up plans and project progress in general. In Tartu it will also be possible to meet the external expert preparing the project evaluation and follow-up strategy.

The host city has prepared a special website for the event, where you can find the registration, practical information as well as the tour's draft programme.

Please visit http://www.tartu.ee/ecitizen and learn all the details about the tour!

Looking forward to meeting you in Tartu!

Draft programme of the tour (pdf, 0,3 MB)

Study Tour to Odense, Denmark, 22 - 23 March 2007

Component 5 responsible partner, The Information Society (IS Fyn), organised a study tour to Odense, Denmark, on 22–23 March 2007. The tour offered a possiblity to summarise the work done by 2007, to discuss plans for the future as well as for developing awareness raising strategies by each partner.

Read more about the tour

Comprehensive study on eGovernment actions in Europe 

Component 5 has produced a study covering good practices, experiences and lessons learnt on eGovernment actions from the whole of Europe. The study was compiled by eGovernance Academy from Tallinn, Estonia, in close collaboration with the eCitizen partnership. The study focuses on the interest areas of eCitizen project: eManagement systems for city administration, online public services, new eParticipation services and raising awareness on eGovernment and eParticipation activities, and introduces them with nearly 30 case examples and making observations on the trends related to the themes.

Download the document:
eGovernment actions in Europe - Best European e-Practices (pdf, 1,49 MB)

Study tour to Turku 14-16 November

Component 2 responsible partner Turku invited eCitizen partners to Turku to discuss the component activities, the results achieved now, plans for the future as well as to familiarise with the work done in Turku.

Read more about the tour

Study tour to St. Petersburg 19-20 October, 2006

Component 3 organized a study tour to St. Petersburg, Russia, on October 19-20.  The tour attracted partners from almost all partner cities to familiarize with eGoverment activities in St. Petersburg, and to catch up with project activities in other partner cities.

Read more about the tour

New study on mobile services by Tartu

City of Tartu has published an interesting study on existing mobile services, best practices, methodology and suggestions for future development. The developed and implemented mobile services in Tartu and in other European cities and countries are analysed. This is a comprehensive overview and an excellent reference for those partner cities which are looking for good ideas and best practices to be utilized in developing local mobile service applications.

Study on mobile services by Tartu

Study tour to Bologna and Trento 16-20 November, 2005

Components 2 and 3 organize a joint study tour to Bologna and Trento, Italy, on November 16-20. The study tours are combined in order to give more partners a possibility to participate in both of them, but naturally it is possible to come only to either Bologna or Trento.

Draft programme for the study tours can be found from Moodle, from the working areas for Comp 2 (Trento) and 3 (Bologna). Registration for the tours, however, is done here, using the registration form below.

About the hotel reservations: Katia Beatrici has promised to take care of the hotel reservations in Trento if needed. Please indicate in the registration form if you wish her to do this for you, also choose the hotel where you want to stay. Naturally you can do the hotel reservations yourself, too. More information on the hotel options in Trento can be found from Moodle and from this link (opens a Word document).

For Bologna you can do the hotel reservations yourself. Recommendations about good hotels will be added to Moodle, Comp. 3 working area, and to this page in the near future.

NOTE: it is advisable to make the reservations as soon as you know the exact dates of your visit, as the time of the study tours is very busy in both cities!

Go to Moodle

Please registrate on 2 December at the latest!

The first project Steering Committee meeting was organized on 30 September 2005 in Turku, Finland.

The first project progress reporting process and lessons learnt were discussed. Action plans and joint activities in the end of 2005 were introduced.

Further information

eCitizen kick-off seminar in Tampere 17-20 May

The partners met for the first time in a kick-off seminar organized by the Lead Partner, the Baltic Institute of Finland, on 17 - 20 May 2005 in Tampere. The purpose of the kick-off seminar was to launch officially project activities and to provide partners with basic information on project management, financing and reporting procedures. 

Further information