Ulster Unionist MEP Jim Nicholson has called on the European Commission to provide clarity on the roll out of PEACE PLUS Funds.

Speaking in the European Parliament in Strasbourg, Mr Nicholson said;

“I have real concerns with the proposed roll out of the new PEACE PLUS funding stream which has been agreed between the United Kingdom and the European Union. We need clarity and detail on how these funds will work after the United Kingdom leaves the European Union.

“When I look back to meetings with Jacques Delors in the mid 1990´s, it was clear that he really understood the potential that the PEACE funding would have in helping to transform communities in Northern Ireland.

“But the path that the current Commission, led by Jean Claude Juncker and Michel Barnier, is taking, by attempting to impose a Brexit policy that will be hugely harmful to Northern Ireland, is a long way from the genuine support Jacques Delors gave to Northern Ireland.

“Just a few weeks ago we heard the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland claiming that the only way to secure this funding was through agreeing to the Prime Minister´s Withdrawal Agreement. This shows a lack of understanding and the history of the fund.

“Back in May 2018 the EU and the UK set out the basis for the roll out of PEACE PLUS funds until 2027. Now the Secretary of State is attempting to change the parameters and say that funding is conditional on support for the Prime Minister´s Withdrawal Agreement. This shows a deep level of - whether intentional or unintentional - misunderstanding of the history of the fund.

“These funds are for social and economic progress in Northern Ireland and the border regions of the Republic of Ireland, and not a political bargaining chip."