Proposal for a Directive discontinuing seasonal changes of time

Summary:

Legislative proposal - published by the European Commission in September 2018 - on discontinuiung seasonal changes of times.

Further information:

The proposed Directive would discontinue the existing system of bi-annual clock changes. The European Union (EU) first unified the summertime arrangements in 1980 - requiring all countries in the bloc to observe daylight saving time - in order to ensure a harmonised approach to time switching within the single market, as until then, national summer-time practices and schedules were diverging. Directive 2000/84/EC (summer-time arrangements directive) requires Member States to switch to summer-time on the last Sunday of March and back to standard time (informally known as winter-time) on the last Sunday of October.

The proposal was adopted by the European Commission on 12 September 2018. The European Parliament adopted its negotiating position on 26 March 2019.

Official

EUR-Lex: SWD(2018)406: Public consultation on EU summer-time arrangements: Report of results https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=SWD:2018:406:FIN

European Parliament: Legislative Observatory: Procedure File for Proposal on seasonal changes of time https://oeil.secure.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/ficheprocedure.do?reference=2018/0332(COD)

EP: Legislative Train: Directive discontinuing seasonal changes of time http://www.europarl.europa.eu/legislative-train/theme-union-of-democratic-change/file-discontinuing-seasonal-changes-of-time

European Parliament: Press Release, 26/03/2019: Parliament backs proposal to end switch between summer and winter time in 2021 http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20190321IPR32107/

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News

Politico, 12/09/2018: Juncker launches fast-track bid to scrap clock change in 2019 https://www.politico.eu/article/jean-claude-juncker-launches-fast-track-bid-to-scrap-clock-change-in-2019/

Reuters, 29/10/2018: EU countries seek more time in clock change debate https://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKKCN1N317Z

The Local (Germany), 29/10/2018: EU ministers say ending clock changes in 2019 'not realistic' https://www.thelocal.de/20181029/eu-ministers-say-ending-clock-changes-in-2019-not-realistic

BBC News, 29/10/2018: Clock changes: EU ministers say clock is ticking on daylight saving https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-46017347

Politico, 29/10/2018: EU countries stop clock on Commission’s time change plan https://www.politico.eu/article/transport-ministers-countries-say-no-to-juncker-commission-daylight-saving-clock-change-plan/

EurActiv, 29/10/2018: Member states want to postpone scrapping clock change to 2021 https://www.euractiv.com/section/transport/news/member-states-want-to-postpone-to-2021-scrapping-clock-change/

Deutsche Welle, 29/10/2018: EU needs more time before ending clock changes https://p.dw.com/p/37L0D

RTÉ News, 29/10/2018: Abolition of daylight saving time in 2019 'not realistic', EU ministers say https://www.rte.ie/news/2018/1029/1007354-daylight-saving-time/

The Local (Germany), 04/03/2019: Daylight savings abolition one step closer after EU Parliament vote https://www.thelocal.de/20190304/clock-ticking-for-daylight-savings-time-as-european-parliament-meets-to-discuss-its-future

Politico, 06/03/2019: French favor summer time scheme in EU clock change debate https://www.politico.eu/article/french-favor-summertime-scheme-in-eu-clock-change-debate/

Deutsche Welle, 26/03/2019: EU Parliament votes to end daylight savings https://p.dw.com/p/3Ffgn

YLE News, 26/03/2019: EU Parliament votes to end seasonal clock changes https://yle.fi/uutiset/osasto/news/eu_parliament_votes_to_end_seasonal_clock_changes/10708273

The Guardian, 26/03/2019: European parliament votes to scrap daylight saving time from 2021 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/mar/26/european-parliament-votes-to-scrap-daylight-saving-time-from-2021

BBC News, 26/03/2019: European MPs vote to end summer time clock changes https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-47704345

Politico, 26/03/2019: European Parliament delays plan to end clock changes https://www.politico.eu/article/european-parliament-delays-junckers-plan-to-end-daylight-saving/

ITV News, 26/03/2019: EU Parliament votes to end clock changes between winter and summer time https://www.itv.com/news/2019-03-26/clocks-changing-eu-parliament-vote-end-clock-changing-winter-time-summer-time/

Euronews, 26/03/2019: The European Parliament votes to end mandatory twice-a-year clock changes https://www.euronews.com/2019/03/26/the-european-parliament-votes-to-end-mandatory-twice-a-year-clock-changes

Reuters, 26/03/2019: Time for a change: EU lawmakers vote to scrap clock shifts in 2021 https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKCN1R71FS

The Local (Spain), 27/03/2019: EU votes to scrap clock changes: What that means for Spain https://www.thelocal.es/20190327/spain-could-finally-eu-parliament-votes-to-end-changing-of-clocks

Independent.ie, 27/03/2019: MEPs vote to end daylight savings - which may result in two Irish time zones https://www.independent.ie/business/brexit/meps-vote-to-end-daylight-savings-which-may-result-in-two-irish-time-zones-37955161.html

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Commentary and Analysis

EPRS: Briefing, March 2019: Discontinuing seasonal changes of time http://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document.html?reference=EPRS_BRI(2018)630308

Euro|topics, March 2019: Summer time clock changes to end in 2021 https://www.eurotopics.net/en/217281/

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ESO Records

European Parliament Resolution on summer time arrangements, February 2018 https://www.europeansources.info/record/resolution-on-summer-time-arrangements/

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