Jim Nicholson MEP and Tom Elliott MLA met with senior officials from the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB) to discuss the Maze project and the future of money earmarked for the Peace Building and Conflict Resolution Centre from the PEACE III Programme. During the meeting it was confirmed that the European Commission has been officially informed by SEUPB who manage the PEACE Programme that the letter of offer regarding the funding has been withdrawn making the funding available to other projects. Mr Nicholson had previously met with the European Commission to discuss this issue. 

Speaking after the meeting Jim Nicholson MEP said: “During this morning’s meeting SEUPB officials have confirmed that they have withdrawn the letter of offer from the Maze site and that the European Commission has now been officially notified of this development.

It was also confirmed that the circa €20million of PEACE Programme funding is not lost but can be allocated to other projects.  SEUPB have started the process of identifying alternatives. This is welcome news as I have always opposed the use of PEACE funding to develop what would become a shrine to terrorism and re-traumatise those who have already suffered most in our society - the many innocent victims of terrorism.’ 

Tom Elliott MLA added: “There is a broad spectrum of people who have opposed this project including Innocent Victims of Terrorism, the RUC GC Association, the UDR Association, the Prison Officers Association and the Orange Order and they should rightly feel satisfied that their campaigning on this issue has halted the development of a terrorist shrine on the Maze site.  Furthermore they have helped to ensure that PEACE funding can potentially now be reallocated to other much more worthy and less contentious projects.’ 

“The focus must also be on ensuring that the Maze site is still regenerated to create up to 5,000 jobs as was originally envisaged.’