Madeleine McCanns’ parents remained “confident” today of winning vital support for a Europe-wide child abduction alert after a day of lobbying MEPs in Strasbourg.

Gerry and Liverpool-born Kate McCann need the signatures of 393 members - that is more than half the total number - by July 24 to see a written declaration of the cross-border system published and sent to the European President.

A signed declaration carries no legal weight, but suggests a political will to see such a scheme implemented.

The McCanns launched their drive for the US-style Amber Alert in Brussels in April, but travelled to Strasbourg this morning needing another 182 members’ signatures.

That number was cut by a modest 15 to 167 by the end of a day-long visit, which left the couple “surprised” at a lack of awareness among MEPs of their high-profile campaign.

But in a series of meetings held throughout the day unsigned members vowed to add their names, and persuade colleagues to join them, before next month’s deadline.

Addressing a press conference with a statement on behalf of the couple, Mrs McCann said: “Our visit today to the plenary session here in Strasbourg has been extremely useful and very encouraging, both in terms of being updated on the good progress of the written declaration, and through having the chance to lobby directly many of those MEPs who have yet to sign it.

“Whilst we remain confident that the declaration will have been signed by a majority of MEPs by the deadline at the end of July, we have also learnt that we still have much to do to increase awareness of the declaration amongst MEPs before then.”

Mrs McCann said “many” MEPs had told the couple directly that they would be signing the declaration by the end of the next session and would urge colleagues to do the same.

“As we say, this gives us great confidence that the target of 393 signatures is achievable,” she said.

“We were, however, also surprised to learn that some MEPs remain unaware of the declaration and its aim of improving child welfare - despite the international publicity that has surrounded it.”

Declaration sponsor and European Parliament Vice-President Edward McMillan-Scott said the McCanns were up against a European Parliament suffering “declaration fatigue”.

Last year, only 12 out of 116 written declarations received the required number, he said.

He added: “If we can afford to maintain a severe weather warning system, we can afford to add the simple addition of a missing child alert. It’s a no-brainer.

“But there’s a certain ’declaration fatigue’. You have them on everything from anti-logging to animal welfare. It’s a question of highlighting your own written declaration.”

European Parliament rules restricted the McCanns to a three-month time period to secure the 393 signatures, the vast majority of which must be collected by officials outside the debating chambers during sessions.

Today, the abduction alert proposal was competing for attention with another 40 declarations, including four on Tibet, one on the trafficking of women for prostitution and one on forced marriages.

Madeleine went missing from her family’s holiday apartment, in Praia da Luz, Portugal, on May 3 last year.

The McCanns believe a European version of Amber Alert - which notifies the public via media across the US when police confirm a child has been abducted - would have helped the search for their daughter in the crucial hours after her disappearance.

At the press conference, the couple faced more questions from the Portuguese media about their actions on the night Madeleine vanished.

Responding to a television reporter’s suggestion that they could face child neglect charges, Mr McCann said: “We didn’t abandon or neglect Madeleine. Someone went into an apartment and stole a child.

“You have gone over old ground. It’s really quite boring. We want to focus on issues that can make a difference.”