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EU set to end switch between summer and winter time - Juncker

 

FILE PHOTO: A giant sculpture constructed with the faces of clocks is seen outside a Paris train station, March 27, 2009 on the weekend when France moves its clocks forward one hour early Sunday morning, marking daylight savings time. REUTERS/Charles Platiau/File Photo

 

BERLIN (Reuters) - The European Union's chief executive said on Friday the bloc was set to end the practice of switching between summer and winter time after a survey found most EU citizens against the practice.

 

More than 80 percent of EU citizens wanted to abolish the EU's switch and favoured keeping the time used in summer for the whole year, Jean-Claude Juncker said on German television, adding he would put the plan to a debate among EU commissioners.

 

"We will decide that today," Juncker said. "Millions ... believe that summertime should be all the time."

 

Any change would still need approval from national governments and European Parliament to become law.

 

EU law requires that citizens in all 28 EU countries move their clocks an hour forward on the last Sunday in March and switch back to winter time on the final Sunday in October.

 

But Finland, with the most northerly EU national capital, this year called for the EU to halt the practice, which critics say it can cause long-term health problems, especially among young children and elderly people.

 

Research has shown that the time change disrupts sleep schedules and can impact productivity at work.

 

Supporters say making the switch to give extra morning daylight in winter and evening light in summer can help reduce traffic accidents and save energy.

 

Outside the EU, a handful of European countries have stopped switching between summer and winter time, including Russia, Turkey, Belarus and Iceland.

 

(Reporting by Gernot Heller and Andrea Shalal; Editing by Edmund Blair)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-08-31

[KhunBENQ]

It's so laughable to read about the terrible health problems due to the two time one hour switch.

Same people who go on winter holiday in Thailand?

US trip in summer?

 

A completely undemocratic/uncontrollable "online survey", no proper debate/arguments is good enough to decide on such a question?

The majority of participants have been from Germany, the others just don't care?

 

"Summertime" all year?

And would Spain accept that or move?

Western Spain: in winter sunrise would be at about 10:00h!

So some daylight at about 10:30h?

Crazy idea.

Edited August 31, 2018 by KhunBENQ

[Guest]

That chance would move Europe closer to Asia's business hours, which is a good thing.

 

Related. How coders see time. Calculating how many seconds there has been between events is rather complicated. 

 

 

[stevenl]

Living in Thailand I would like this.

 

Living in Europe I liked the summer time.

[Chomper Higgot]

1 hour ago, KhunBENQ said:

It's so laughable to read about the terrible health problems due to the two time one hour switch.

Same people who go on winter holiday in Thailand?

US trip in summer?

 

A completely undemocratic/uncontrollable "online survey", no proper debate/arguments is good enough to decide on such a question?

The majority of participants have been from Germany, the others just don't care?

 

"Summertime" all year?

And would Spain accept that or move?

Western Spain: in winter sunrise would be at about 10:00h!

So some daylight at about 10:30h?

Crazy idea.

“A completely undemocratic/uncontrollable "online survey", no proper debate/arguments is good enough to decide on such a question?”

 

From the OP:

Any change would still need approval from national governments and EuropeanParliament to become law.

 

OK please get back you your baseless ranting.

[canuckamuck]

I always thought daylight savings was a silly thing to do. Hopefully they end the practice in Canada too.

[Grouse]

At least the EU has something serious to consider....

[scubascuba3]

This is the best thing to come out of the EU

[My Thai Life]

1 hour ago, Chomper Higgot said:

OK please get back you your baseless ranting.

And why would KhunBENQ need to do that when we can always rely on you to do it on any international story via your trademark one liners with a dash of copy and paste.

 

Come clean, are you in the internationale cadre for Momentum, or just studying for the role?

[Grouse]

Shades of C S Lewis

 

I can see the witch keeping the UK in a permanent Winter while Aslan rules a sunny Europe! 

[Esso49]

Had it as a trial in the UK many years back in 1968 for 3 years  What a sensible move,  liked by most,  until the Tory dinosaurs decided there was money to be made for their pals out of switching times twice a year again in 1971.

[KhunBENQ]

Reading the articles in the German news.

 

EU having about 500 million inhabitants.

4.6 million have voted.

About 3 million from Germany,

Only for the internet savvy.

 

"Summertime" in winter having nidicolous results as described.

Wish there was an equivalent word for German "Schnapsidee" (schnapps idea) a la Juncker.

 

Abolishing the time change?

So be it but then give the countries their normal time that fits best for their longitude. Three timezones in the EU.

[ballpoint]

14 hours ago, Esso49 said:

Had it as a trial in the UK many years back in 1968 for 3 years  What a sensible move, ...

Sounds quite a radical move if it made 1968 last for 3 years.

[attrayant]

I always loved daylight savings time.  It can be depressing getting off work at 5 pm and seeing it dark already.  I'd rather have the darkness in the morning and the extra hours of daylight in the evening.

[RuamRudy]

It's interesting that a country as far north as Finland would seek to abolish the switch. Maybe by being so far north, DST has little positive effect?

 

In the UK, the Scots have tended to be the strongest opponents of any proposal to change the arrangements, mainly due to the fact that even with DST it doesn't get light till well after 9am in some parts of Scotland during winter. 

 

 

 

[Nigel Garvie]

59 minutes ago, RuamRudy said:

It's interesting that a country as far north as Finland would seek to abolish the switch. Maybe by being so far north, DST has little positive effect?

 

In the UK, the Scots have tended to be the strongest opponents of any proposal to change the arrangements, mainly due to the fact that even with DST it doesn't get light till well after 9am in some parts of Scotland during winter. 

 

 

 

Not all Scots by any means. I find it a total pain to be working in the dark at 4pm, and having light at 7.30am when I don't need it. Most detailed statistics, and statistical analysis of accidents to school children, which had always been claimed to show the benefit of DST, in fact show the opposite up to Caithness where the effect is neutral. Those living in the far north of Scotland, Norway, Sweden and Finland simply have to accept a shorter winter day, and start/stop activities to suit. Scottish farmers did complain about loosing DST, claiming it affected the cows, I've been looking for cow watches ever since I heard this!

[Mojomor]

If my memory is correct the experiment was tried in the late 60s for a couple of years. When the accident statistics were calculated it was found that a lot more died in early morning accidents due to dark and bitterly cold. Then it was decided to scrap the experiment and revert to Summer Time and Winter time. The accident stats reverted to pre-experiment levels. 

[RuamRudy]

43 minutes ago, Nigel Garvie said:

Not all Scots by any means. I find it a total pain to be working in the dark at 4pm, and having light at 7.30am when I don't need it. Most detailed statistics, and statistical analysis of accidents to school children, which had always been claimed to show the benefit of DST, in fact show the opposite up to Caithness where the effect is neutral. Those living in the far north of Scotland, Norway, Sweden and Finland simply have to accept a shorter winter day, and start/stop activities to suit. Scottish farmers did complain about loosing DST, claiming it affected the cows, I've been looking for cow watches ever since I heard this!

 

Cows are more aware than you might think...

 

 

[melvinmelvin]

51 minutes ago, Nigel Garvie said:

Not all Scots by any means. I find it a total pain to be working in the dark at 4pm, and having light at 7.30am when I don't need it. Most detailed statistics, and statistical analysis of accidents to school children, which had always been claimed to show the benefit of DST, in fact show the opposite up to Caithness where the effect is neutral. Those living in the far north of Scotland, Norway, Sweden and Finland simply have to accept a shorter winter day, and start/stop activities to suit. Scottish farmers did complain about loosing DST, claiming it affected the cows, I've been looking for cow watches ever since I heard this!

 

for me, originating from the far north, Iceland, Scotland, Norway, Sweden, Finland

the DST time switch is very valuable - very noticeable and I appreciate it,  I prefer light to darkness

 

it was said above that Scot farmers objected to losing DST

 

if I remember correctly Norwegian farmers were all arms and legs opposing the introduction of DST

claiming that domestic animals like hen/chicken-oxen-cows would be greatly disturbed and producing less milk and fewer eggs

 

diverse world, politicians enjoy

 

bah

 

 

[AsiaHand]

22 hours ago, Chomper Higgot said:

“A completely undemocratic/uncontrollable "online survey", no proper debate/arguments is good enough to decide on such a question?”

 

From the OP:

Any change would still need approval from national governments and EuropeanParliament to become law.

 

OK please get back you your baseless ranting.

In The US the changing  of the times twice a year saves billions of dollars to the country and to many of the states..The main complaint there is "That it is too inconvenient" and "It interrupts my sleeping pattern" ,and many more like these from lazy or unacknowledged people. Ignorance does seem to drive the minds of many people of today's society.

Edited September 1, 2018 by AsiaHand

[bristolboy]

On 8/31/2018 at 11:53 AM, KhunBENQ said:

It's so laughable to read about the terrible health problems due to the two time one hour switch.

Same people who go on winter holiday in Thailand?

US trip in summer?

 

A completely undemocratic/uncontrollable "online survey", no proper debate/arguments is good enough to decide on such a question?

The majority of participants have been from Germany, the others just don't care?

 

"Summertime" all year?

And would Spain accept that or move?

Western Spain: in winter sunrise would be at about 10:00h!

So some daylight at about 10:30h?

Crazy idea.

What you failed to note about Spain is that thanks to Franco Spain is already an hour ahead of its neighbors. Presunably, Spain could revert to the same scheme observed by its neighbors.

[Thingamabob]

Excellent, but I fear it will never happen in the UK. Dinosaurs rule there.