Please support a Europe-wide missing child alert system

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Kate and Gerry McCann have been in Brussels at the European Parliament presenting a declaration proposing a Europe wide alert system when a child goes missing. The similar AMBER alert system used in the US has led to the successful recovery of many abducted children. 393 MEPs need to sign this in order for it to be looked into.

Please take a moment to click on the link in order to identify your MEP and request that they sign the declaration to move this proposal forward.
Find your MEP

Here is a sample text which you can cut and paste-

I am writing to request that you sign the declaration presented to the
European Parliament by Kate and Gerry McCann requesting a Europe-wide
alert system and telephone hotline for when a child is abducted.

We will never know whether this would have helped in their own case and
led to the recovery of their daughter, Madeleine, but there is
overwhelming evidence from the United States that such a system can
prove crucial in recovering an abducted child before they are harmed.

I feel it is vitally important for the safety of all our children that
the implementation of such a system receives your full support.

what it means is that you could not enforce borders just to cover missing children - that the EU currently doesn't have border controls between countries and to therefore ask for an alert system such as this one to be implemented would involve changing EU law entirely.

highly unlikely to be implemented at all.

And afraid im with noddyholder - I refuse to sign anything endorsed by the mccanns either.

Have contacted my MEP.

Am bewildered by people who won't help because they don't like the McCanns. Surely the idea of an AMBER alert is a good one, whatever you think of them?

Thanks for the Irish links popstar.

tbh I don't think that it will help.

Am all for an amber alert system, but tbh I think that by trying to make it a european initiative from the outset it's like trying to run before we can walk. I think that people should be pushing for such a system in their own countries, so in the UK for us, and once countries are on board and have made a success of the system locally, a push could be made to make it a europe wide initiative.

But IMO local authorities should be on side before having such systems forced on them by europe.

And I don't think the Mccanns should be involved because it's too much their own agenda - using Madeleine as an example when in actual fact no-one even knows whether she was abducted.

So far Robert Kilroy Silk is up for signing, as are the local conservative mep and labour, three more still to reply. May help that I'm in the same region as the McCanns?? not sure? the MEP's seem to be more sympathetic and one even said he was there with them when the press pack descended and he witnessed trial by media at first hand and was not impressed.

Bump...It's easy to do. I'm waiting for a response.

Mr. X has clearly demonstrated in his letter that The People cannot trust or count on our government bodies, democratic or not, to embrace issues of our concern. I do agree that the ?Amber? system should be in place for Europe that encompasses all missing people but that he will simply not support it due to more powers being put in the hands of a Totalitarian government and them being able to monitor our movements. I doubt very much that you travelling across Europe is of any concern if you are not missing/wanted. Before 2001, I could cross the border in the USA and only be asked my country of origin. I didn?t need one piece of ID and quite frankly, found this disturbing. I could go into Mexico as well, and likewise for Americans coming to Canada without ID. It?s not something of the movies that American (and Canadians) criminals move to any of these three countries. Now you do need a passport and all three freely send info to authorities if there is a chance of a border crossing and I believe that all three countries are better for it.
With all this talk, I am very interested in having my children, when I have them, chipped. My dh finds this wrong but I very much support the idea. Anyone have any feelings about this program. It works in Canada and The States.

Done and already one yes!!

'I will sign it.' Dr. Charles Tannock MEP

(London Region, Deputy Coordinator Foreign Affairs Committee for EPP-ED Group

UK Conservative Foreign Affairs Spokesman)

So that is 8 more of mine to go!!

Popstar,

I strongly support this and am so sorry it has taken the disappearence of Maddeline McCann to make us realise how slow and ineffecient police can be when a child goes missing.

Thank you,

Amey

Done! I have about 7 MEPs !

Done - that was v.v. easy!!

I think the idea of microchipping children is madness. what kind of microchip is it - one like you would have in a cat or a dog? in which case it's only of any use if the child is found and is unidentifyable by other means - ie they can't tell you who they are. if it is a chip with a transmitter of sorts is there any evidence t show that having such a device isn't detremental to health in any way? also the systems do not exist to track children who have transmitters inside them so again would be of little use.

Hi all,
as far as I know there is an alert system already in place.
Freephone 00800 6 7 8 9 10 11 europe wide to ask about their child abduction schemes already in place.
ec.europa.eu/europedirect/index_en.htm
and to stop pornography on the internet
www.childfocus-net-alert.be/uk/UK_homepage.htm

When Madeline went missing, I rang this number to talk to a legal specialist and they assured me they were working on a system to rescue children that were abducted -
europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/08/368&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN& guiLanguage=en

It seems that there already are some systems in place - what I'm hoping for though is a further linking up of the systems already in place and a special task force irrespective of boundaries that will and can be put in place and action immediately a child is reported missing europe-wide.
europa.eu/scadplus/leg/en/lvb/l33299.htm

One of the Irish MEPs Proinsias deRossa was assaulted in Dublin last night after a talk and discussion regarding the Lisbon Treaty.. I just hope in Ireland we don't lose sight of what this Treaty means wrt broadening of the powers of the EU to further safeguard childern and women within it's borders.

Being part of europe, and helping it pass laws more quickly and in an easier, less red tape bound way, which protect children and women in particular (by saying yes to Lisbon treaty) can only be a good thing.
IMO any further alignment and strengthening of Judicial powers and agencies of law, wrt child abduction and human trafficking are a good thing for all living within the european union, and further afield also.

Sorry that should say:
as far as I know there is a EU wide alert system already in place in Europe.
Freephone 00800 6 7 8 9 10 11 europe wide to ask about their schemes to recover abducted children and women schemes (Daphne I and Daphne II).
ec.europa.eu/europedirect/index_en.htm
and to stop pornography on the internet
www.childfocus-net-alert.be/uk/UK_homepage.htm

another response....

Dear Mrs .....

Thank you for your email.

Please be assured that I will be signing this written declaration.

Kind Regards,

Neil Parish MEP

OH yes, and I would NEVER ever agree to having my children tagged/microchipped!

EVER!!

The article that I read about the chip for children was a GPS system and is set just under the skin in the upper arm and had at the time of printing, proved not harmful. The company that designed it also has one that was a credit card chip? instead of carrying around your cards. It is a pointless system if it was simply an identity chip seeing as how your teeth and DNA are a very good for determining an identity. I read about it a couple of years ago and can?t seem to find the article? if I do I will post it.

Ps? Charles Tannock also told me he would sign.

DH works closely with GPS companies, whose management have told us recently that there is a big demand for such chips to tag children with, but the problem there is battery life.

So you can put a subcutaneous chip in your kid but what good is it if it can't transmit after a week? It's not like you can predict when he will go missing (if ever).

The crucial period for any missing child is the first hours/days.

This kind of chip would have made all the difference to poor Madeleine and her parents.

I support the idea of subcutaneous chips in principle, subject to more research on their safety etc.

I think you didn't understand.

Because the battery will only last for a couple of days, you have to know for sure WHEN she will be abducted for it to make sense.

That is, you can't just put it in and forget about it, and if one day your kid is lost, hope to find her location. By then, some months will have passed, battery will be flat, and the chip will be useless.

Done, and am also perplexed by those against this due to support from the McCanns. I'm sure it's been done to death, but for the record, I think they've been vilified just for still being their and not going away and grieving quietly (lets face it, which of us would?). It reminds us all of what awful things can happen (though rare) and face up to our own shortcomings as parents (yes, we all have shortcomings). Much easier to blame them...
coi none

Just thinking maybe I shouldn't have made that post. Don't want to detract from the thread which is essentially not actually to do with the McCanns. Sorry

Thanks again for all the support. I'm glad there's lots of you who see this as an important issue. At least if we can get it discussed in the European Parliament then it raises awareness of the whole issue of missing children and the logistics can be then be investigated.

So far as I understand the initial alert is fairly local so might not necessarily involve border control unless there's one in easy reach.

Not sure about chipping...

I've done it .

Done - and if there were a way to have my dc's mircochipped (without problems of flat batteries) then i would do it in a heartbeat

I think each person who reads this thread should make up their mind about the scheme proposed on what they consider to be its merits.

To make up your mind about something like this based on your prejudice about the McCanns is pathetic.