EU debates on eliminating the biannual time changing and you can have your say!

EU citizens move their clocks back or forward twice a year, and since this was settled a few decades ago as a saving-energy solution, recent reports say that this saving is not that relevant.

A representation of MEPs from several groups, reunited to announce a motion for elimination of the current legislation, defending the twice-yearly switch of clocks to daylight saving time allegedly causes health damages to our organisms, according to the latest scientific reports. Numerous scientific studies, including the European Parliamentary Research Service study of October 2017 on EU summer-time arrangements under Directive 2000/84/EC, have failed to arrive at any definitive conclusions, but have indicated the existence of negative effects on human health.

All 13 Finnish MEPs fully support the motion. Like other Baltic countries, Finland shares an inconvenience of the time difference changing with non-EU Russia, Ukraine and Belarus and Ukraine, as they rejected the change in 2011. On the other hand, South European countries defend enjoying more daylight hours in Summer evenings for leisure purposes. ALDE MEPs Anneli Jäättenmäki (FI) and Gesine Meissner (DE) are some of the representatives in the panel.

The European Commission just launched a Public Consultation on this summertime arrangements and you can have your say until the 16th of August. How to submit your response? Click HERE.

For more information: david.vidal@europarl.europa.eu