Brussels, 11/04/2008 (Agence Europe) - A group of MEPs, on Monday 10 April, presented a written declaration on emergency cooperation in recovering missing children. In this declaration, Edward McMillan-Scott (EPP-ED, UK), Roberta Angelilli (UEN, Italy), Glenys Kinnock (PES, UK), Evelyne Gebhardt (PES, Germany) and Diana Wallis (ALDE, UK) urge member states to introduce an alert system at European level, to be activated as soon as a child is reported missing in a member state. The authors hope to gather the signatures of the majority of MEPs over the course of the next three months to have the declaration adopted. The alert system would see the setting up of a hotline to report the disappearance of the child, and an “Amber Alert” system, based on the American model, which was named after Amber Hagerman, to inform the police, border authorities, Customs officials and the media of the disappearance in the crucial first few hours. A photo of the child and his/her description, along with a phone number to call and a description of the potential adductor, would be flashed in railway stations, on motorways and other areas to alert the public. Information would also be sent swiftly to television and radio channels. In Europe, only France and Belgium have adopted such a system. To add weight to the call, McMillan-Scott sponsored a visit by the parents of Madeleine McCann, the four-year-old who disappeared in Portugal in May 2007. The McCanns fully back the MEPs call. The US system has helped the recovery of nearly 400 abducted children since 2003, with 80% being found within 72 hours of their disappearance, McMillan-Scott pointed out. He regretted that the Council had not yet reached agreement of the operation of such a system, despite the desire for such expressed by Home Affairs Ministers in October 2007 (see EUROPE 9514), and he hoped that the “real efforts” of Justice Commissioner Franco Frattini to push the issue would be continued by his successor. “This is not about legislation but about political will. Some 130,000 children go missing in Europe every year and the police have to sift through the reports and sort out which are abduction cases. They need as much cooperation as possible,” McMillan-Scott said. “We only hope that half the MEPs will sign it to give a mandate” for the creation of a European system, said Gerry and Kate McCann at a press conference that was heavily attended by the media. The arrival of Madeleine's parents created some controversy since they are still considered by Portuguese police to be suspects in their daughter's disappearance. On Thursday they said they could not discuss details of the on-going investigation. (I.L.)