Summer or Winter time? EU Member States might be confronted with this decision.
In response to a citizen’s initiative and a subsequent resolution from the European Parliament last year on Time Change Arrangements, the European Commission adopted a proposal to discontinue the seasonal changes of time in the Union. The objective of this legislative proposal is to end the biannual change of clocks that currently takes place in every Member State of the EU at the end of March and the end of October.
The Transport and Tourism Committee of the European Parliament today adopted their position on this proposal;
· To abolish the clock change in 2021, for which Member States will have to decide to either keep permanent summer- or winter time;
· Member States to notify to the European Commission the arrangements that they want to apply by April 2020;
· The establishment of a coordination mechanism where Member States are to discuss and assess the potential impact of a Member State’s choice for permanent summer- or wintertime on the proper functioning of the internal market;
· The European Commission to evaluate the impact of Member States’ final choices on the internal market. Where it determines that the foreseen time arrangements have the potential to seriously and permanently jeopardise the proper functioning of the internal market, it may, by delegated act, postpone the
date of application of this Directive by a maximum of 12 months and submit a legislative proposal.
MEP Izaskun Bilbao Barandica, shadow rapporteur for this file said:
“I welcome the result of today’s vote, which is more prudent, realistic and will allow the European Commission to evaluate the decision of each Member State and its impact on the European internal market. In addition, the proposed coordination mechanism will provide transparency, rationality and coordination to the decisions adopted by each state in this regard.”
More info: david.vidal@europarl.europa.eu
