Brussels, 08/04/2009 (Agence Europe) - Frontex, the European external borders agency, announced on Monday 6 April that it will be postponing the launch of its operation to combat illegal immigration in the central Mediterranean. In a letter addressed to eleven member states, Frontex announces that air and maritime operations, which were to be launched on 16 April as part of the Nautilus 2009 operation, have finally been postponed. This postponement, the agency explains, is due to the fact that there is a dispute between Malta and Italy over the point of disembarkation of third country nationals rescued at sea. Upon being contacted by EUROPE, the European Commission said it was aware of the situation. “The Commission encourages member states to actively take part in the Nautilus operation and encourages the participating member states to find a solution between them on the operational plan including with regard to the question of disembarkation to allow for the launch of the operation as soon as possible”, the Commission stresses. Operation Nautilus was in fact to be launched in the area where, at the end of March, a makeshift craft had capsized leaving 21 migrants dead and 200 lost, according to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM). This year, all operations conducted by Frontex, i.e. about twenty in all, will be allocated a total budget of €39 million. Operation Nautilus is almost permanent as it will run from end March until end November. Problems of interpretation arising from international obligations under the law of the sea are frequent among member states. This is why the Commission is currently preparing guidelines to allow European countries to act according to the same modus operandi when it is a matter of saving lives at sea, a European source explained. (B.C./transl.jl)