McCanns welcome EU alert backing

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 puts 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.

By then they had already visited Washington to see how a US "Amber Alert" early warning raised the alarm across state lines and lead to the safe return of hundreds of children. They asked for a similar network to be extended across the 27 EU countries.

Conservative MEP and European Parliament Vice-President Edward McMillan-Scott, who helped organise the McCanns' visit to Brussels and another to Strasbourg last month to keep up support, formally presented the resolution to EU Justice Commissioner Jacques Barrot.

He said: "I am very pleased that a majority of MEPs have backed this important initiative, started by Kate and Gerry McCann out of their personal tragedy. Now it has real impetus across the EU. Four hundred children have been saved in the USA in five years by this system."

Two years ago - before Madeleine disappeared - a similar initiative in the European Parliament failed to attract sufficient support to be taken up by ministers. But the publicity surrounding the case means the current French EU presidency is now likely to give the issue a big push in the next few months.