Is the Sun Setting on DST in the EU?
In 2019, the European Union seemed intent on scrapping Daylight Saving Time (DST), but nothing has happened so far. What lies ahead?
Could the Sun be setting on DST in the European Union? European Parliament building in Brussels, Belgium.
©iStockphoto.com/PaulGrecaud
EU Effort to End DST Remains Deadlocked
In 2019, the European Parliament supported a proposal from the European Commission to eliminate DST in EU member countries. However, in 2021, the proposal stalled in the European Council because of practical concerns, including challenges in coordinating time zones and implementation logistics.
As a result, the practice of changing the clocks for Daylight Saving Time (DST) is still in place, with no immediate plans to change across EU Member States and affiliated countries.
Ukraine Votes to Cancel Daylight Saving Time
Voted Against DST in 2019
On March 26, 2019, the European Parliament voted in favor of the EU Committee draft directive to stop the one-hour clock change in the European Union, the European Parliament Press Room reports. 410 members voted in favor of the draft, 192 were against, and 51 members abstained from voting.
The vote was another formal step towards a permanent elimination of DST in the EU. The proposal will form the basis of discussions between the EU Ministers to produce a final law repealing Directive 2000/84/EC, the EU's existing DST legislation, also known as the Summer Time Directive.
Countries Would Decide Their Time
Under the draft directive, each Member State would decide whether to remain permanently on “summer time” or to change their clocks back one final time to permanent standard time, also known as “winter time.”
Opponents are worried that this could lead to a patchwork of time zones across Europe. This could cause a fragmentation of the European market, destabilizing the union at a time when the integrity of its single market is in question.
Hate Clock Changes? This Expert Disagrees
When Will DST Stop in Europe?
According to the initial draft, countries that decide to stay on permanent DST were to make their final clock change on March 28, 2021 without changing their clocks back to standard time on October 31, 2021. In contrast, the countries that decide to remain on standard time all year were to set their clocks forward one hour for DST on March 28, 2021 and then back again for the final time on October 31, 2021.
However, this schedule was not observed. A new date will probably be set once the European Council resumes its discussions on the directive.
History of DST in the EU
The EU first synchronized its Daylight Saving Time schedule in 1980 to ensure continuously stable time offsets across the single market.
Currently, DST in Europe runs from 01:00 UTC on the last Sunday of March to 01:00 UTC on the last Sunday of October every year.
It includes all countries in the European Economic Area (EEA), except Iceland. Switzerland follows the same schedule, although the country is not part of the EEA.
We diligently research and continuously update our time zone information. If you find a mistake, please let us know.