Comments made this morning in Brussels by Italy’s Interior Minister Roberto Maroni do not augur well for a positive conclusion of today’s Justice and Home Affairs meeting in Brussels in which pledges are expected to be made by EU member states with regards to their participation in the pilot project designed by the Commission to offload the burden of migrants from Malta.

Mr Maroni once again slammed the EU and its member states for their 'inaction' with regards to the evolving situation in the southern Mediterranean area.

He said that despite the promises last month, Frontex had not even started discussing the possibilities of patrolling the Tunisian coast together with the authorities in Tunisia.

Last month Mr Maroni questioned Italy’s membership of the EU following a tense Justice and Home Affairs Council meeting in which member states botched Italy’s and Malta’s demand to trigger the solidarity mechanism to help Malta and Italy cope with a wave of illegal immigration from North Africa.

Malta’s Interior Minister Carm Mifsud Bonnici did not give any comments on his way to the Council.

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