Frontex forgets Frattini's promise to Malta

The EU's Border Agency Frontex does not recall former EU Justice Commissioner Franco Frattini's promise to open one of its sub-operational offices in Malta.

Following a management board meeting last week, the Warsaw-based EU agency decided to open a regional sub-operational office in Greece and use it as a pilot project to test the waters on whether the agency should have more of these offices in the future.

Two years ago, Mr Frattini had told a press conference in Brussels that Malta should have one of these offices and that priority would be given to the southern Mediterranean region.

However, when asked about the latest plans to open this office in Malta, a Frontex spokesman told The Sunday Times that Mr Frattini's pledge was not on the cards.

"I don't recall such plans to open an office in Malta," the Frontex spokesman said.

"What we decided at this stage is to start a pilot project in Greece lasting until 2012. After the evaluation of the pilot project the Management Board will decide whether we should establish future offices."

Unveiling a new set of proposals to strengthen Frontex in February 2008, Mr Frattini had said that "one of Frontex's specialised branches should be based in Malta" so that the agency could help the island better manage immigration flows.

Mr Frattini, now Italy's Foreign Minister, had also said Malta was the ideal place for such an office.

Sources close to the European Commission told The Sunday Times the EU executive is very surprised that the agency does not recall such a plan since it was taken for granted that Malta would be the first member state to have such a sub-office following Mr Frattini's public promise. The sources said Mr Frattini had also repeated the same promise during private meetings with the Maltese government.

"A promise is a promise and although Mr Frattini has long been replaced, it is still coming from the European Commission," the sources said.

"Malta's submission to have one of these offices is still on Frontex's table and it should be honoured."

Shortly after joining the EU, Malta had competed with a number of member states to host the agency's headquarters. However, Malta lost out to Poland. At that stage, Malta was instead promised a sub-operational office.

Malta is currently also opposing new draft Frontex operational rules approved by the EU Council to guide future anti-illegal immigration patrol operations. According to these rules, the member state hosting such an operation would have to take in all the illegal immigrants saved during such an operation.

Malta and Italy said they would refuse to take part in any future Frontex mission under these conditions. Discussions on this issue are still ongoing.