Madeline McCann's parents welcome Euro backing for child alert system

Jul 10 2008 Liverpool Daily Post

KATE and Gerry McCann today welcomed European Parliament backing for an EU-wide missing child alert system to help prevent child abductions across borders.

The parents of Madeleine McCann described as “wonderful news” the fact that a declaration supporting the couple’s plea for action has now attracted sufficient MEPs’ signatures to become a formal resolution.

It now has backing from at least 393 MEPs - achieving the minimum required support of half the 785 European Parliament members before a resolution is considered for legislation.

And although the resolution has no legal force it now put serious political and moral pressure on the European Commission and EU governments to adopt legally-binding measures to increase the chances of finding missing children.

A joint statement issued by the McCanns said: “This is wonderful news and we would like to thank every single MEP who has signed the declaration.

“By supporting such a European wide structure (a network of national child alert systems), each and every one is helping to make Europe a safer place for children.

“Hopefully this will mean that far fewer families have to suffer the sort of pain we are continuing to go through.”

“We now urge the Commission to act swiftly in taking this forward in practical terms”

The McCanns visited MEPs in Brussels in April as part of their campaign to mobilise action following the disappearance of Madeleine during a family holiday in Portugal more than a year ago.