EU legislators scrap daylight savings time
Bloc's practice of moving clocks forward by an hour in spring then back again in autumn will stop in April 2021
Strasbourg — The European parliament voted on Tuesday to scrap the practice of moving clocks forward by an hour in spring then back again in autumn in the bloc in April 2021, two years later than the EU executive initially proposed. Legislators voted 410 to 192 in favour of ending the practice of seasonal time shifts. The vote is not the last word on the issue but will form the basis of discussions with EU countries to produce a final law. The countries have yet to take a stance. EU law has required all countries in the bloc to observe daylight saving time, moving clocks forward by an hour on the last Sunday of March and back by an hour on the final Sunday in October. The practice of switching the clocks, also observed in countries such as the US, was introduced in World War 1 to save energy by prolonging evening daylight in summer.
The European Commission proposed in September ending the practice after an EU-wide opinion survey showed a large majority in favour of doing so. T...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.