The European Union’s security and defence policy, ESDP, is focused on supporting international peace and security, the resolution of conflict and international development, in accordance with the principles of the UN Charter.
The European Union is concerned about the protection of children and young people inside and outside Europe.
Following the disappearance of Madeleine McCann from a Portuguese holiday resort in 2007, the need for closer cooperation between EU countries to help missing children has been highlighted.
Madeleine McCann’s parents took their own campaign to the European Parliament in 2008.
Last November, Ireland and our EU partners agreed to increase action against criminal abductions of children and to set up an early warning system along the lines of the US Amber Alert system.
Experts say that in the US, this system helps the safe return of hundreds of abducted children when the alarm has been raised across state lines.
In November 2008, all the 27 member states of the EU endorsed the Commission proposal for the introduction and development of national mechanisms for alerting the general public to the criminal abduction of children, taking as a basis the good practices established by the European Commission. This recommends an alert system to transmit immediately the pictures and details of an abducted child right around the EU’s 27 member countries.
Ireland’s approach to this important issue is also addressed in our new National Action Plan to Prevent and Combat Human Trafficking. For more information see the website of the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform.
A Europe-wide emergency telephone number for reporting missing children - 11 60 00 - was brought into effect this year. This aims to provide a single and memorable number that can be used everywhere to speed up the response when a child is missing. When we remember recent stories like the Madeline McCann case, we realise how important a joined up, cohesive approach can be for helping to find missing children.
The EU has also implemented the European Convention on the Exercise of Children's Rights. This aims to give children a "voice"- someone to look after their interests exclusively and speak on their behalf, concerning things like custody arrangements and medical treatment.