By Martin Banks - 9th April 2008
The European parliament has heard an appeal from the parents of missing toddler Madeleine McCann to back an EU-wide child abduction alert system.
Speaking in parliament on Thursday, Madeleine´s mother Kate pleaded with MEPs, "I implore you, please back this campaign."
The move comes as the first anniversary of Madeleine's disappearance on 3 May looms. The couple, whose presence in parliament sparked huge media interest, are due to speak to officials from the commission and council and also hold talks on Thursday with the UK ambassador to the EU.
They are in Brussels to help promote a written declaration on emergency cooperation in recovering missing children.
The declaration, put forward by five MEPs, calls on all member states to establish an amber alert system, similar to one already in use in the US, which the McCanns say has proved "highly successful".
Gerry McCann said the alert system would be reserved in the main for the most serious missing children cases where the life of the child is deemed to be at risk.
He said it could be introduced at minimal cost and would help police in missing child inquiries.
Kate McCann said the couple wanted to use their own personal anguish to help spare other parents whose children go missing.
Addressing MEPs at a specially convened meeting, she said, "Madeleine was a happy, confident little girl and this time last year we were a happy family.
"Her disappearance has totally devastated us and inflicted upon us the greatest possible amount of pain."
She added, "The sad, unbelievable fact is that Madeleine is not alone, as thousands of other children are victims as well.
"Even more shocking is the fact that there is little or no data collection at EU-wide level. This is in spite of the massive scale of the problem."
She said the objective of an amber alert system would be to "instantly galvanise whole communities" in order to help them assist in the recovery of a missing child.
Under the scheme, news media, including TV and radio stations, would be given details in the event of a child going missing.
This would include photographs and a telephone number to call with information.
At present, only four member states have such a scheme, including France, where TV and radio broadcasts are interrupted every 15 minutes with updated information on a missing minor.
MEPs will get a chance to sign the declaration for the first time during next month's plenary session in Strasbourg.
It must be signed by at least 50 per cent of the assembly's members for it to have any chance of becoming formal EU policy.
Kate McCann later told a news conference that due to legal reasons the couple were unable to talk in detail about the current investigation into their missing daughter, but said they had not given up hope that she might still be alive.
"There is no evidence whatsoever that she has come to any harm so, yes, we still hope that she will be recovered safely," she said.
Her husband said they may be prepared to take part in a reconstruction of the night Madeleine disappeared from the Algarve holiday resort.
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