Malta in tripartite summit

EU help to Malta on illegal immigration is on its way and concrete measures will be introduced before next summer, according to the EU spokesman for justice and home affairs.

Details were discussed during a tripartite summit in Rome held yesterday between EU Commissioner Franco Frattini, Maltese Home Affairs Minister Tonio Borg and Foreign Minister Michael Frendo and their Italian counterparts Gianfranco Fini and Giuseppe Pisanu.

The talks, at the Italian Foreign Ministry, were described as very fruitful by the Maltese and Italian ministers and by Commissioner Frattini.

During the meeting an EU package of measures to be presented next December was discussed.

Friso Roscam Abbing, Mr Frattini's spokesman, told The Times this was the first meeting of a tour de capitale that the commissioner is conducting before presenting his proposals to the Justice and Home Affairs Council to be held in Brussels in December.

He said Mr Frattini wants that in view of the problem of illegal immigration in the Mediterranean a political response is devised to assist the affected member states immediately. Mr Frattini will hold similar meetings in Paris, Nicosia, Athens and Madrid.

Mr Abbing said that in December, the Justice and Home Affairs Council will be asked to authorise joint maritime patrols in the Mediterranean to prevent illegal immigration.

These will be coordinated by the EU border control agency (Frontex) and will include the participation of all the EU member states involved. This measure should be in place before next summer together with a €20 million EU Emergency Fund to assist countries like Malta to deal with a sudden influx of illegal immigrants.

The EU will also be proposing the conclusion of a joint action plan of cooperation between the EU and Libya in order to help this country manage better its immigration problems. The conclusion of repatriation agreements with Morocco and Algeria will be sought by the end of this year.

Mr Abbing said that the EU will also be proposing the setting up of a Euromed task force on illegal immigration on the same structure as the 5+5 forum.

He said that if the countries concerned - France, Italy, Spain, Malta, Greece, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Mauritania - agree, the task force could be a suitable structure to strengthen cooperation on illegal immigration.

Dr Frendo said the Maltese government is very satisfied with the discussions held, adding that substantial EU help is now within reach. The Italian government is totally on board to cooperate with Malta, he added.