Last year, the Commission adopted a measure named "Towards a community strategy in relation to children’s rights". Among other things, that measure fostered the establishment of a European Forum on the issue. The first meeting of the Forum is taking place in Berlin on June 4th. Commissioner Frattini stated: "All over Europe, the public opinion showed everybody its sustain for the parents of Madeleine McCann (the four-year-old British child disappeared in Portugal on May 3rd editor’s note). This points out citizens’ solidarity with the families of the disappeared children, as well as the importance which citizens associate with the defence of a safe and protected environment", for minors. The first session of the European Forum for the rights of children will take place in the presence of the ministers of justice of EU. The Forum will gather representatives of the member States, mediators for children, the Council of Europe, UNICEF, non-governmental organizations, representatives of the civil society, and other operators. "The intention is to offer operators an office to develop collaboration". It is an "essential initiative to encourage the exchange of experiences, information, initiatives, results and good practice, as well as to operate in favour of their full carrying out".
