Advance by incendiary letter

66 EU parliamentarians call for a stop to the time change

On Sunday night, the clock is set back by one hour.

(Bild: APA/dpa/Daniel Naupold)

Every year, the time changeover causes renewed debate - this time even at EU level. In an incendiary letter, 66 MEPs from different political groups and countries are calling on EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to abolish the time change. 

It's barely that time of year again when the time change is sparking another debate - this time involving the European Union. In an incendiary letter, 66 MEPs from different political groups and countries are calling on EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (CDU) to finally keep her promise to put a stop to the time change that began in 1980.

Abolition has long been a done deal
There is excitement among politicians, as the end of the time change has actually been a done deal for a long time. Even before Ursula von der Leyen (CDU) took office as EU Commission President in 2019, Brussels had already announced the end of the time change. Critics - such as MEP Markus Ferber (CSU) - are therefore calling on the Commission President to finally get rid of this unresolved legacy. 

They cite the negative impact on the sleep patterns of millions of EU citizens, which "increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes" and can also "lead to an increase in traffic accidents". On the other hand, the hoped-for effect (energy savings) has completely failed to materialize.

When Ursula von der Leyen took over the leadership of the European Union from Jean-Claude Juncker in December 2019, she followed in the footsteps of Brussels' promise to abolish the time change.

(Bild: APA/AFP/JOHN THYS)

84 percent of EU citizens are against the time change
The arguments against the time change are by no means new: back in 2018, an extensive EU-wide survey showed that 84% of citizens reject the switch from summer to winter time. As a result of the survey, the EU Parliament also spoke out in favor of ending the time change. The then President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, even publicly promised: "The time changeover will be abolished."

However, the agreement stalled when it was supposed to become concrete at national level - the responsibility lies with the transport ministers. Ultimately, the coronavirus pandemic brought the process to a complete standstill. While discussions are still ongoing in the EU, many countries have already said goodbye to the time changeover. This is also the case in Ukraine, where the clocks will be changed for the last time on Sunday morning, after which winter time will apply permanently.

Standard time begins in October
The annual changeover to winter time will take place on the night of October 26-27 this year. This means that we can sleep one hour longer on Sundays. October marks the start of standard time, when the clocks are set back from three o'clock to two o'clock and Central European Time (CET) comes into effect. This period lasts five months, from the end of October to the end of March. Summer time, also known as Central European Summer Time (CEST), applies for the remaining seven months.