The Frontex anti-migration patrols off Malta's coast have been dubbed a "complete failure" by France and talks in Paris today will be discussing its future direction.
France is spearheading a bid to bolster the EU agency's role but its dossier on this year's Nautilus IV mission did not go down well with the Maltese authorities. Although in favour of measures to strengthen the agency, they disagree that the Frontex mission has failed to bring results.
Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici will be meeting his French counterpart Eric Besson for "general discussions on the future direction of Frontex".
This year's mission, the fourth since these missions began in 2006, started last May and is expected to end early next month.
Although enjoying the biggest budget so far - €10 million - it attracted the least number of participating EU member states.
Apart from Malta, which is hosting the mission and performing the majority of sea and air patrols, Germany has sent two helicopters while Luxembourg has a small plane. Finland and Italy have only deployed experts.
The start of this year's mission was also delayed several times due to a disagreement between Malta and Italy over who should take responsibility for the illegal immigrants found at sea.
Following a compromise that they should be taken to the closest safe port, Italy did not send any of its assets to the mission, contrary to earlier missions.
According to the French dossier, the Nautilus IV mission was not successful and its objectives are not being reached. The French maintain that this year's campaign was also marred by the legal uncertainty over which member state was to be responsible for intercepted boats, which resulted in the gradual withdrawal of member states from the joint operations.
However, Malta disagrees with the French conclusions and is insisting the missions are important as they still serve as a deterrent.
"We have gone on record time and again saying the Frontex mission is not a failure, but we look forward to seeing an improvement of any future missions and possibly attract the participation of more member states," a ministry spokesman said when contacted for a reaction to the French dossier.
Malta, the spokesman said, "supports the French government's push to strengthen Frontex". The measures being proposed by the French Immigration Ministry include establishing specialist Frontex offices where necessary, in particular in the Mediterranean, to coordinate surveillance and control operations.
"Malta has already signalled its strong support for these measures, some of which were originally suggested by Minister Mifsud Bonnici himself during meetings in May with the EU's Justice Commissioner Jacques Barrot and the Frontex executive director Illka Laitinen in June."
Although neither the Warsaw-based EU agency nor Malta has given any details on the number of illegal immigrants turned back after being caught crossing the Mediterranean, the number arriving on the island this year has been far lower than in previous years.
Until the end of last week, Malta received 1,397 illegal immigrants when at the same time last year the figure was over 2,560.
However, according to observers, the figures do not prove the success or otherwise of the mission and other factors may be influencing the sudden drop in numbers.
A study released by Frontex a few weeks ago concluded that the recession may be a factor as the job market in the EU is currently in shambles.
Joint patrols between Italy and Libya and the introduction of a push-back policy by the Berlusconi government have also left their mark.