Majority of MEPs back call for alert system
But the demand by the MEPs follows a decision by Europe’s justice ministers earlier this week to shelve plans for such a system.
Only Hungary has done anything to introduce a special emergency hotline number.
Most countries, including Ireland, do not have an alert system when people go missing but the European Commission promised to draw up guidelines to encourage each member state to set up its own system.
However the McCanns, whose three-year-old daughter Madeleine went missing last year, hope that the MEPs move will put pressure on the EU to act. They were delighted that almost 400 of the 785 MEPs have signed the petition demanding a system such as the Amber Alert system used in the US.
“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,” their statement said.
The European Commission has revealed that 18 months after reserving a special Europe-wide emergency number for reporting missing children, 116000, only Hungary has done anything about it.
Labour Dublin MEP Proinsias De Rossa called on the Communications Minister and the Commission for Communications Regulation to put the number into operation in Ireland.
The McCanns have twice visited the European Parliament this year to encourage MEPs to sign the petition. It does not have any legal clout but allows the Parliament to put pressure on member governments and the Commission to do something.
About 130,000 children go missing in Europe every year but only France and Greece has a comprehensive alert system in place.
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