Lithuania has switched to winter time – have you turned the clocks?
During winter, Lithuania is in the second time zone (UTC + 2 hours) and winter time is entered at 02:00. night from Saturday to Sunday.
Although MEPs have proposed a change of season in the European Union from 2021 onwards, the proposal has not been accepted. The time-lapse procedure has been the subject of controversial debate for many years. 2018 A survey conducted by the European Commission shows that out of 4.6 million only 16% of Europeans surveyed. to support the rotation of the seasonal time. The remaining 84 percent. advocated the abandonment of such practices.
2019 MEPs put forward proposals to change the timing of the EU state’s seasonal waiver. Europarla has suggested that the next time the EU chooses to turn the clock in 2021. March on Sunday in March. Countries that like to stay in the winter time would do so in 2021. on Sunday in October.
According to MEPs, EU countries should coordinate their decisions on the timing, and the European Commission should evaluate them so as not to jeopardize the single market. If necessary, the Commission may propose to postpone the entry into force of the Directive for up to one year. The proposal was not accepted.
“The rainy season will change this weekend as well, and another one is needed,” Gabrielė Vasiliauskaitė, Adviser to the Minister of Transport and Communications, commented on the BNS earlier.
The time in Lithuania, as in all European Union (EU) member states, is changed twice a year due to summer due to the implementation of the EU directive.
In 2019, the European Parliament endorsed the proposal, when the countries would no longer have time to turn from 2021. Under this proposal, a permanent order in the EU countries that have chosen summer time should be turned over on Sunday 2021, and if you like to stay in winter time, you should do so on the upper Sunday of October 2021.
However, not all EU member states have agreed on the abolition of the time change. “It is unfortunate that the EU cannot reach a unanimous agreement on seasonal change after several years of discussions. Lithuania is interested in the problem of problems that are suffering quickly and in a coordinated way, because the European city continues twice a year from a regime that is not suitable for a modern way of life or for blessing people, ”said the representative of the Minister.
According to her, Lithuania was one of the countries that carried out the preparatory work – consultations with both the public and business. “Lithuania’s consultations show that the end of the seasonal change will not have a negative impact on the economies of individual Member States. We believe that it is necessary to take political responsibility and finally complete this issue by adopting a joint EU decision, ”said G. Vasiliauskaitė.
this issue was raised again by the Minister of Transport and Communications Marius Skuodis. He called on the European Union (EU) to unanimously change the issue of time and not to change the season, in a letter to a Community institution.
“The European Commission’s proposal was presented four years ago, but European citizens must continue to change their time twice a year. I am convinced of the need to take responsibility and finally take the political issue together with the EU on this issue, the minister said in a letter.
“Numerous studies have confirmed the negative effects of seasonal changes on human health, so the highest priority is given to the well-being of the European population and inefficient and harmful time changes,” he added.
The Council addressed the euro to Adina Valean, Minister for Infrastructure of the Slovenian Presidency, Jernej Vrtovec, and Karima Delli, Chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on Transport and Tourism.
According to the Minister, consultations with the public and business representatives in Lithuania demonstrate that the introduction of a permanent time will not affect the economy if the country differs by no more than an hour from Western European countries and if the time change is refused in a coordinated manner – if EU member states agree on specific seasons. time waiver dates and clear information procedures.
“Obviously, it would not be difficult to establish a coordination mechanism, it is easily arranged at the technical level. It is very disappointing that the EU still cannot agree on such a simple issue even after several years of discussions, “said Minister M. Skuodis in the letter.
According to the Ministry, in the EU-wide consultations organized by the European Commission, the creation of 4.6 million people, as many as 84 percent. of them were in favor of refusing to change the time twice a year.
Delfi Pabiržis, the administrator of the European Parliament’s office in Lithuania, has previously commented to Delfi Pabiržis that changing the time-lapse directive, as well as other EU legislation, requires a proposal from the European Commission, approval of European Parliament and EU Council positions, then negotiations, compromise and compromise. approval by both Parliament and the EU Council.
“In this particular case, the European Commission presented a proposal in 2018, the European Parliament confirmed its position in 2019. and proposed to turn the clocks once in 2021. However, the EU Council, ie the governments of the EU countries, has not reached a compromise on this issue so far and has not presented its common position, which is where the issue is stuck.
As far as I know, the changes are opposed by a group of Member States, including Germany, but the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the Ministry of Transport and Communications, whose representatives participate in Council meetings, should be commented on. The European Parliament, for its part, has taken the decision, “he said.
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