Vienna, November 10, 2004 — At the European conference "Gaining from Visions" from 10-13 November 10-13 in Vienna, hosted by EUROCITIES and its sister networks TeleCities and ACCESS, and supported by the City of Vienna, TeleCities and Deloitte presented the annual eCitizenship for All Awards for eGovernment. An independent panel of experts from the academic world nominated the following cities for the awards: Barcelona, Bologna, Copenhagen, Espoo, Liverpool, Stockholm and Tranås. The nominated projects from these cities distinguish themselves at European level in terms of innovation, fulfilment of user needs, sustainability and transferability with respect to e-Government.

Three cities were honoured with the eCitizenship for All Awards 2004, in recognition of excellence in one of TeleCities four major challenges:

• City of Barcelona (Spain) with Citizen's Folder (Re-engineering) and Porta22 (eLearning and Inclusion);
• City of Bologna (Italy) with Iperbole Civic Network (eDemocracy);
• City of Stockholm (Sweden) with Biometric log-on for Students and Teachers and Increasing Awareness of ICT Security (both eSecurity)

The "honorary mentions" were:

• City of Espoo (Finland) with Open Espoo (eDemocracy);
• City of Copenhagen (Denmark) with Digital Self Service (Re-engineering);
• City of Liverpool (UK) with i-Learn (eLearning and Inclusion);
• City of Tranås (Sweden) with Traman-FTTH (eLearning and Inclusion).

The City of Stockholm's biometric log-on for students and teachers is highlighted as a European best practice. The aim of the project is to increase security and reduce administration by replacing passwords with biometric mathematical algorithms. Kent Larssson, Information Security Director: "The biometric identity verification increases user friendliness of the security system. It is currently being used by 4000 teachers and students in Swedish primary schools. While individual data security increases substantially, it helps prevent intrusion or violation of the user's integrity."

TeleCities and Deloitte also presented the interim findings of the annual benchmark survey into eCitizenship for All, which focuses on the current status of implementation of TeleCities' major challenges:

• eLearning and Inclusion: TeleCities will play a major role in ensuring that all European citizens will be digitally literate and able to benefit from the gains of the Information Society.
• eDemocracy: All relevant cities will have implemented eDemocracy, with all the new forms of citizens’ participation and community empowerment.
• eSecurity: All European citizens will have the right to eSecurity. 
• Re-engineering of Local Public Administration: All relevant cities will have re-engineered their service-rendering processes in order to improve the cost-benefit ratio and the quality of services they provide to citizens, professionals and businesses. 

To date a total of 100 European cities from some 25 countries have participated in the survey by adding their eGovernment initiatives to TeleCities European knowledge base, to which all members of TeleCities have direct access. Cities in EU accession countries will be able to participate in the survey until the end of the year. Michiel van den Berg, Deloitte’s survey coordinator for Central and Eastern Europe based in Prague: "Some 20 cities in EU accession countries, from the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Poland, and Slovenia have shown a keen interest to join the survey. The cities of Budapest, Gdansk, Hradec Králové, Katowice, Koper, Prague, Ostrava, Rijeka, and Vilnius have confirmed their participation and are in the process of completing their on-line questionnaires."

Richard Drewes, Deloitte's European survey leader:" The knowledge base created through this process represents a valuable and unique tool for European cities to benchmark themselves against each other and provide scope for bilateral learning and knowledge sharing." The final report will be presented at TeleCities spring event in Tallin next year, when the winners of the eCitizenship for All Awards 2004 will be sharing their accomplishments.

Rudolf Schicker, Executive Councillor City of Vienna, welcomed the winners of the eCitizenship for All Awards at the festive reception at the Organgery of Schönbrunn Palace. He recognized that: "Interactive digital communications between city and citizens results in better services for taxpayer’s money; it enables cities to provide services at reduced costs and allows citizens to access their city independent of counter hours. The "Virtual Office" of the City of Vienna demonstrates Vienna's dedication to eGovernment. It is excellent to see that an increasing number of TeleCities in the South of Europe join the traditionally strong eGovernment-elite in the Nordic countries."

TeleCities President, Teresa Serra, representing the City of Barcelona, emphasized the crucial role of cities in accomplishing an all inclusive information society: "Innovation in eGovernment at the level of local authorities enables European citizens to fully benefit from the gains of the information society. Through the promotion of bilateral learning and knowledge sharing amongst European cities, TeleCities supports the European Commission in a fuller implementation of the eEurope 2010 Action Plan. European cities, including those in EU accession countries, which will master their transition towards knowledge-based cities will reach higher levels of government performance and provide enhanced constituent values. The TeleCities-Deloitte eCitizenship for All initiative fulfills the need of knowledge sharing amongst European cities to reach this goal."

About TeleCities
TeleCities is the major European network of cities committed to leadership in the Information and Knowledge Society. Established in 1993 in the framework of Eurocities, TeleCities is open to democratically elected city governments as well as to business and scientific partners. TeleCities provides a platform of over 100 local authorities from 20 different European countries, sharing experience and developing practical solutions achieving an Inclusive Information and Knowledge Society, both at European and local level.

Its aim is to promote eCitizenship at local level to ensure that all citizens can equally gain from the benefits of the Information and Knowledge Society.To achieve this aim, TeleCities actively works for its members to: Influence the European Agenda to ensure that the interests of cities are taken into account in policy making; foster exchange of experience and knowledge transfer amongst cities. Co-operation and networking with South European and CEE cities is also pursued to contribute to the enlargement goals of the European Union; inform members on policies, programmes and initiatives at EU and local level; facilitate and support the development of EU funded projects relevant to the members and the network.

About Deloitte
Deloitte refers to one or more of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, a Swiss Verein, its member firms, and their respective subsidiaries and affiliates. Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu is an organization of member firms around the world devoted to excellence in providing professional services and advice, focused on client service through a global strategy executed locally in nearly 150 countries. With access to the deep intellectual capital of 120,000 people worldwide, Deloitte delivers services in four professional areas-audit, tax, consulting, and financial advisory services-and serves more than one-half of the world's largest companies, as well as large national enterprises, public institutions, locally important clients, and successful, fast-growing global growth companies. Services are not provided by the Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Verein, and, for regulatory and other reasons, certain member firms do not provide services in all four professional areas.

As a Swiss Verein (association), neither Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu nor any of its member firms has any liability for each other‘s acts or omissions. Each of the member firms is a separate and independent legal entity operating under the names "Deloitte," "Deloitte & Touche," "Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu," or other related names.

Related link: EUROPA : IDA : eGovernment Observatory