The discussion traditionally held in March and October before the return to normal hours had already announced the abolition of the time change. The end was triggered by an EU-wide online survey. 84% of the participants spoke out against the time change. A majority voted in 2018 for a permanent daylight saving time. 4.6 million responses were received, three million of them from Germany alone – a record, but still less than one percent of EU citizens.
The European Parliament followed suit in March 2019 and voted by a large majority to abolish daylight saving time by 2021 – or a year later if there were difficulties for the internal market. However, most member states would have to agree to this for it to become a reality. States are still discussing concrete implementation. The main problem is that some countries prefer to keep daylight saving time, others to normal time – Austria, for example, wants to keep daylight saving time. The goal – at least for Central Europe – is a uniform time zone to avoid trade-offs.
Graphics: APA/ORF.at; Source: APA/ZAMG/timeanddate
voting far
However, as the European Union and countries currently have to deal with more important issues, the ball is still in the hands of the EU Council of Ministers, which last discussed the abolition of the semi-annual time shift in June 2019. transport ministers are responsible. The vote is far from happening. The French Presidency of the Council recently announced that it does not intend to put the issue on the agenda. France will hold the rotating presidency of EU countries until the end of June.
the change of time
Clocks are set forward in Austria every year on the last Sunday in March from 2:00 am (CET) to 3:00 am (CEST). On the last Sunday in October, clocks are set back from 3:00 am (CEST) to 2:00 am (CET).
Across the EU, the clock was set on the last Sunday in March – and again on the last Sunday in October. Daylight saving time was introduced in Europe in 1973 during the oil crisis and with the aim of saving energy. With the time difference, an hour of daylight must be gained for businesses and homes. France was the first to do so.
Change can become a burden
Austria only decided to introduce it in 1979 due to administrative problems and because it wanted traffic harmonization with Switzerland and Germany. These two countries did not introduce daylight saving time until 1980. However, daylight saving time already existed in Austria during the First World War. In 1916, it applied to the monarchy from 1 May to 30 September, but was discontinued. A second attempt – without success – was made in the years 1940 to 1948.
ORF.at/Christian Öser When the trees start to bloom, summer is not far off. How long the time will be changed is questionable.
Critics of the time change claim that it no longer fulfills its original purpose and that the economic benefits are not discernible. Instead, an unnecessary load on the biorhythm is accepted, which can lead to tiredness and apathy, as well as sleep disturbances and loss of appetite. Experts therefore advise sensitive people to go to bed earlier than usual on the days before the move – Saturdays should be about an hour earlier. After a few days, the biorhythms of those affected should stabilize again.
USA on the way to permanent daylight saving time
Many countries outside Europe have abolished conversion or are making efforts to do so. In the US, for example, the Senate voted last week to permanently introduce daylight saving time. If passed by the House of Representatives, it will take effect in November 2023. However, it is unclear whether there would be a majority for this and whether US President Joe Biden would sign a corresponding law. So a predictable implementation – similar to Europe – is far from certain.
As the abolition of the annual time change is still suspended in Brussels, the daylight saving time change should also continue to be extended as a formal act in the Council of Ministers. For legal reasons, the respective start and end dates for daylight saving time must be defined and published. A corresponding draft regulation for 2022 to 2026 was presented and approved by the Minister of Economy Margarete Schramböck (ÖVP) at the Council of Ministers in mid-February.