Malta is one of 14 EU member states that still have to activate the Europe-wide 116000 emergency number for reporting missing children and provide support for their parents.

The hotline was set up by the European Commission in 2007 and member states bound themselves in 2009 to make sure the hotline was operational by May 25, 2011.

The Commission this week named 14 countries that still do not have the system in place. They are: Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Slovenia and Sweden. The UK only has the number partly operational.

The report called Dial 116000: The European Hotline For Missing Children, which the Commission adopted this week, gives defaulting member states a final warning, urging them to install the number urgently.

The document acknowledges the challenges facing member states wanting to implement the system, like the cost, but offers examples of best practice from countries where the hotline is up and running. The Commission proposes using these best practices to work out a set of common minimum standards to guarantee a high quality service. It will hold high-level meetings with all stakeholders every year until the hotline is operational in all 27 member states. The meetings will take place around May 25 every year to mark International Missing Children’s Day meant to express solidarity with missing children and their families.