political reviews • polynesia 219 Guilt on Assault, Discharged. 14 May. Brexit, while also lobbying London https://www.radionz.co.nz/international/ to ensure the territory’s interests were pacific-news/357316/niue-minister-admits safeguarded in the longer term. -guilt-on-assault-discharged A crucial meeting for Pitcairn ———. 2018b. Niue Premier Changes His was the European Union Overseas Mind on Pension Portability. 4 April. Countries and Territories Ministerial https://www.radionz.co.nz/international/ Conference held in Brussels between pacific-news/354078/niue-premier-changes 20 and 23 February 2018. A range -his-mind-on-pension-portability of issues were discussed, including Takelesi. 2017. Budget 2017 Passed By climate change, sustainable energy, Niue Assembly. Tala Niue, 8 Aug. and biodiversity, and what EU funding https://www.talaniue.com/budget-2017 could best support initiatives in these -passed-niue-assembly/ areas (octa 2018). The highlight for Pitcairn was the signing of a European Development Fund (edf)–11 Focal Sector agreement, worth 2.35 mil- Pitcairn € lion (us$2.72 million), to upgrade the The islands of Pitcairn, Henderson, island’s medical center and to sup- Ducie, and Oeno (commonly known port several tourism-related activities, as Pitcairn) make up a single territory, including “improving accessibility to the last remaining United Kingdom Pitcairn, specifically by developing Overseas Territory (ukot) in the the Bounty Bay and Tedside landings Pacific Ocean. But much of the period and improving on-shore facilities” and under review (1 July 2017–30 June “constructing a shelter and informa- 2018) was concerned with Pitcairn’s tion centre for tourists and other visi- relationship with the European Union tors” (European Commission 2018a). (EU), which has been highly advan- A further €480,000 (us$556,000) tageous to the territory. However, a was allocated under the EU’s Pacific long shadow has been cast over these Regional Funding to cover two-thirds relations due to the upcoming depar- of the preliminary budgeted cost of ture of the United Kingdom from the the introduction of solar-powered European Union (Brexit), which was renewable energy to Pitcairn (Pitcairn officially scheduled for 29 March Miscellany 2018b). 2019. Because of the frequent time lag in Pitcairn is an Overseas Country getting EU funds disbursed, Pitcairn and Territory (oct) of the Euro- also benefitted from some edf-10 pean Union. octs are not part of the money during the period under review. European Union and thus are not For example, a number of local road directly subject to EU law, but they improvement projects were under- do have associate status and thus taken through the European Union’s receive various forms of assistance integre (Territories Initiative for from Brussels. As a consequence, the Regional Management of the Envi- limited resources of the Pitcairn Island ronment) program (Pitcairn Miscel- Council were focused on securing as lany 2017a). integre also supported much EU funding as possible before a glass recycling project, whereby 220 the contemporary pacific • 31:1 (2019) empty glass bottles were recycled into UK government has not given any souvenirs for the tourist market (Pit- reassurances that it will make good cairn Miscellany 2017b). The projects any shortfalls in support. More gener- linked into integre’s focus on build- ally, there is still great uncertainty over ing resilience and sustainable develop- what a post-Brexit relationship with ment in the Pacific octs in the face the European Union will look like. of climate change. In addition, funds And so, Pitcairn and the other over- from edf-10 paid for a new goods seas territories are largely beholden to shed (Pitcairn Miscellany 2017a). trusting the UK government to make The importance of these funds was the best possible deal for them. made clear in July 2017, when Pitcairn The view from the European Islands Councillor Leslie Jaques gave Commission and the octs is rather evidence to the House of Lords Select mixed in terms of whether Pitcairn Committee on the European Union on and the other UK territories will be the likely impacts of Brexit. He noted able to maintain a relationship with that the European Union provides them once the United Kingdom has “a significant amount” of funding— withdrawn from the European Union. accounting for about 30 percent of In its political declaration after the Pitcairn’s overall budget (House of European Union Overseas Countries Lords 2017, 6). He also explained the and Territories Ministerial Conference importance of being part of a regional in February 2018, oct representa- envelope of funding, which helps to tives recommended that the Euro- facilitate cooperation with French pean Union “explore how [the UK] Polynesia, Wallis and Futuna, and octs can continue to benefit from New Caledonia. Pitcairn gains benefits preferential trade arrangements post in other respects too; the European Brexit” (octa 2018, 3). They also Union is one of Pitcairn’s largest suggested that the United Kingdom markets for its honey exports, and the could “contribute to the EU financial free movement of Pitcairners to French support earmarked for octs . with Polynesia, and particularly Tahiti, for a view to maintain ukots within or medical treatment is crucial. alongside the octs grouping” (octa As a consequence, Pitcairn has 2018, 9). Overseas Countries and Ter- much to lose from Brexit, and Jaques ritories Association (octa) Chair and did not mince words during his time French Polynesia Vice President Teva with the House of Lords committee. Rohfritsch stated, “We will not turn He said that the loss of EU funding our backs on our friends from Pitcairn and freedom of movement to other Island because of Brexit. Regional European Union territories would be co-operation will continue” (Pitcairn “catastrophic”; he went on to say that Miscellany 2018b). “we trust in the [Brexit] process and The European Commission was we hope for the best” (House of Lords more noncommittal, and in June 2018 2017, 19). Jaques also cautioned that published a draft for a new “Council “we do not know [who will fill the Decision on the Association of the funding gap], which is a concern” Overseas Countries and Territories (House of Lords 2017, 6). So far the with the European Union,” which political reviews • polynesia 221 specifically excludes the UK territo- needed. But there was also consider- ries: “The proposed Decision will take ation of whether a survey should be into account the consequences of the undertaken to see if current residents withdrawal of the United Kingdom of wanted to leave Pitcairn and what Great Britain and Northern Ireland support they might require to resettle from the European Union and the fact elsewhere (pic 2018c, 2; 2018d, 3). that the special regime set out in Part Nevertheless, there was frustration Four of the tfeu [Treaty on the Func- over the lack of concrete measures tioning of the European Union] would to start addressing Pitcairn’s perilous no longer apply to the 12 British future. One Islander remarked “that octs” (European Commission 2018b, we had spoken repeatedly on the same 9). So there are real concerns that, issues but nothing had happened to when (and if) a final Brexit deal is take things forward” (pic 2018d, 3). agreed to, the interests of Pitcairn and Despite heightened concerns over the other territories will be sidelined. the future of Pitcairn, several new With the potential loss of support initiatives were taken in an attempt to from the European Union, debate boost its economic viability. Perhaps over Pitcairn’s long-term viability was the most significant was the plan to placed into even sharper focus. The designate Pitcairn as a Dark Sky Sanc- population remains at a near histori- tuary. To date only four locations in cally low level—in the mid-forties— the world—Aotea/Great Barrier Island and it continues to age. Only seven (New Zealand); Cosmic Campground people in paid employment are under (United States); Gabriela Mistral the age of 50, and there are none in (Chile); and Rainbow Bridge National the 20–30 age group (UN 2018, 7). Monument (United States)—have The new UK governor of Pitcairn, this status. A Dark Sky Sanctuary is Laura Clarke, who assumed her post “public or private land that has an in January 2018, said the issue of exceptional or distinguished quality of the island’s future was “an existen- starry nights and a nocturnal environ- tial question with no quick or easy ment that is protected for its scien- answers” (Pitcairn Miscellany 2018c). tific, natural, or educational value, In an attempt to move this debate its cultural heritage and/or public forward, several workshops on Pit- enjoyment” (International Dark-Sky cairn’s future were held during the Association 2018). Pitcairn looked to period under review, although there the Aotea/Great Barrier Island in par- were concerns that the younger mem- ticular, which, after becoming a dark bers of the community did not engage sky reserve in 2012, saw a significant (pic 2018a, 2). Discussions included growth in so-called astro-tourism. whether Pitcairners’ attitude toward In February 2018, John Hearnshaw, migrants needed to improve; who emeritus astronomy professor from should Pitcairn be targeting as pro- the University of Canterbury, New spective migrants; and whether a more Zealand, visited Pitcairn and indicated realistic marketing campaign—one that the island met the criteria, and which also highlighted the difficulties it was expected that an application of migrating to the territory—was would be made to the International 222 the contemporary pacific • 31:1 (2019) Dark-Sky Association later in the year tember 2017, and according to the UK (Pitcairn Miscellany 2018a). government these enabled a successful However, the issue of Pitcairn’s reconciliation process to take place inaccessibility, which would need (UN 2018, 8).