An hour ahead: And summer time greets every year
The discussion traditionally held in March and October before the switch back to normal time had already heralded the abolition of the time change. The end was triggered by an EU-wide online survey. 84 percent of the participants spoke out against the time change. Most voted in 2018 for a permanent summer time. 4.6 million answers were received, three million of them from Germany alone – a record, but still less than one percent of EU citizens.
The European Parliament followed suit in March 2019 and voted by a large majority to abolish summer time by 2021 – or a year later if there were difficulties for the internal market. However, a majority of the member states would have to agree to this in order for it to become a reality. The states are still discussing the concrete implementation. The core problem is that some countries prefer to keep summer time, others want normal time – Austria, for example, want to stay with summer time. The aim – at least for Central Europe – is a uniform time zone in order to avoid disadvantages for trade.
Voting a long way off
However, since both the European Union and the countries currently have to deal with more important issues, the ball is still in the hands of the EU Council of Ministers, which last discussed the abolition of the two time changes in June 2019. The transport ministers are responsible. A vote is now a long way off. The French Council Presidency is currently announcing that it has no plans to put the issue on the agenda. France will hold the rotating presidency of the EU countries until the end of June.
The timing
The clocks are put forward in Austria every year on the last Sunday in March at 2:00 a.m. (CET) to 3:00 a.m. (CEST). On the last Sunday in October, clocks are turned back from 3:00 a.m. (CEST) to 2:00 a.m. (CET).
Throughout the EU, the clock has been turned on the last Sunday in March – and back again on the last Sunday in October. Daylight saving time was introduced in Europe in 1973 due to the oil crisis and to save energy. With the time difference, one hour of daylight should be gained for companies and households. France was the first to do so.
Change can become a burden
Austria only decided to introduce it in 1979 because of administrative problems and because it wanted harmonization of traffic with Switzerland and Germany. These two countries do not introduce daylight saving time until 1980. However, summer time already existed in Austria during the First World War. In 1916 it applied to the monarchy from May 1st to September 30th, but was then discontinued. A second – unsuccessful – attempt was made in the years 1940 to 1948.
Critics of the time position claim that it no longer fulfills its original purpose and that the economic benefit is not recognizable. In addition, one accepts an unnecessary burden on the biorhythm, which could lead to tiredness and listlessness as well as sleep disorders and loss of appetite. Experts advise sensitive people not to go to bed earlier than usual in the days leading up to implementation – on Saturday it should be about an hour earlier. After a few days, the biorhythm of those affected should level off again.
USA on the way to permanent daylight saving time
Many countries outside Europe have meanwhile abolished the conversion or are striving to do so. In the USA, for example, the Senate voted last week to introduce daylight saving time permanently. If approved by the House of Representatives, it would go into effect in November 2023. However, it is unclear whether there is a majority in favor and whether US President Joe Biden would sign a corresponding law. A foreseeable implementation is – as in Europe – not at all certain.
Since the abolition of the annual time change is still on hold in Brussels, the summer time change must also continue to be extended as a formal act in the Council of Ministers. For legal reasons, the respective dates for the beginning and end of summer time are fixed and must be published. A corresponding draft regulation for 2022 to 2026 was presented and approved by Economics Minister Margarete Schramböck (ÖVP) in the Council of Ministers in mid-February.