(see related)(ANSA) - Rome, August 19 - The European Union must not pass the buck on the migrant emergency, which Italy has so far coped with largely on its own, Interior Minister Angelino Alfano said Tuesday.

"No passing of the buck to the detriment of Italy," Alfano said.

The minister made his comments following an earlier European Commission statement that EU border agency Frontex is "a small agency, and needs more funds". "The EU is stating the obvious," Alfano went on. "Money is scarce, and member States must intervene".

The EU must take responsibility for beefing up Frontex so it can replace Italy's Mare Nostrum (Our Sea) migrant search-and-rescue operation before Italy pulls the switch on that mission altogether, the minister said.

Italy set up the operation in October, following a migrant ship disaster in which 366 people perished off the Sicilian island of Lampedusa.

