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Zeitumstellung-Sommerzeit: Why the EU’s Planned Abolition of Clock Changes Remains Stalled By BBC News, Brussels For millions across Central European Time (CET) zones, the transition from Sommerzeit (Daylight Saving Time) back to Standard Time this weekend marks the perennial ritual of seasonal time adjustment. However, the biannual clock change, known widely as Zeitumstellung, continues to take place despite a decisive 2019 vote by the European Parliament to abolish it permanently. The proposed directive, which sought to end the mandatory time shift across the bloc, remains deadlocked within the Council of the European Union, caught between public demand for change and deep-seated fears of economic fragmentation within the single market. This coming Sunday, October 26, 2025, clocks in Germany, France, Italy, and more than a dozen other European nations will be adjusted. At 03:00 Central European Summer Time (CEST), the time will officially revert to 02:00 Central European Time (CET), granting citizens an extra hour of sleep but also ushering in earlier sunsets and shorter evening daylight. The process is mandated by the EU’s Summer Time Directive, which dictates that the seasonal change must occur on the last Sunday of March and the last Sunday of October across all member states. The Stalling of European Reform The drive to scrap the Zeitumstellung gained significant momentum in 2018 following a massive public consultation where 4. 6 million European citizens participated—the largest in EU history—with 84% voting in favour of discontinuing the twice-yearly change. Responding to this overwhelming public sentiment, the European Commission formally proposed the end of the directive. In March 2019, the European Parliament overwhelmingly backed the proposal, setting a final implementation deadline for 2021.
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However, the subsequent required step—approval by the Council of the European Union, which comprises the ministers of the 27 member states—has never materialised. Diplomatic sources indicate that the issue has been effectively shelved due to the member states’ inability to agree on a coordinated approach, particularly the fundamental question of whether the continent should settle permanently on Summer Time (DST) or Standard Time (often called ‘Winter Time’). “The political will to eliminate the change is clear among citizens and the Parliament, but the practical difficulties are immense,” explains Dr. Helena Richter, a policy analyst specialising in European transport logistics. “If member states choose permanent time zones individually, you risk creating a ‘patchwork’ scenario. Imagine the chaos for cross-border rail networks, air traffic control, and synchronised supply chains if Spain, for instance, chose permanent Standard Time while its neighbour France chose permanent Summer Time. ” The Chronobiology and Economic Costs Beyond logistics, the core of the continuing debate revolves around health and economic impact. Proponents of Standard Time argue that the current DST system—which keeps the clock offset from the solar time for seven months of the year—is detrimental to human health. Chronobiologists assert that the abrupt shift disrupts the natural circadian rhythm, or body clock, leading to acute sleep deprivation and measurable spikes in negative health metrics. Studies have consistently linked the transition in spring (losing one hour) to short-term increases in heart attacks, traffic accidents, and workplace injuries.
Professor Till Roenneberg, a leading German chronobiologist, has often highlighted the disparity between social time and biological time. “The human circadian clock simply does not adjust fully to Sommerzeit,” he notes. “The consequence is that a large segment of the population suffers from ‘social jetlag,’ leading to decreased productivity and increased susceptibility to illness. Keeping clocks permanently closer to the natural solar time is a public health imperative. ” Conversely, advocates for keeping the Sommerzeit—or even adopting it permanently—cite economic and safety benefits. They argue that the extended daylight in the evenings promotes outdoor recreation, boosts retail sales and tourism, and reduces street crime during peak commuting hours. The initial rationale for Sommerzeit—energy saving—is largely dismissed by both sides today. Multiple assessments have concluded that the energy benefits, once significant during times of non-efficient lighting, are now marginal due to modern technology and air-conditioning use. The Geographic Challenge and Future Outlook The deep geographical division within the EU is a major contributor to the stalemate. If the EU were to switch permanently to Sommerzeit, countries in the extreme west, such as parts of Spain and Ireland, would face sunrises approaching 09:00 (9 a.
m. ) during deep winter, forcing school children and commuters to begin their days in darkness. Conversely, if permanent Standard Time were adopted, countries in the eastern bloc, like Poland, would see sunrises as early as 03:00 (3 a. m. ) in midsummer, rendering much of the evening daylight unusable for leisure. This geographic predicament, coupled with the political events since 2020—including the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine—has meant the Zeitumstellung file has slipped far down the Council’s agenda. Despite renewed calls by several Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) in 2024 to push for a new roadmap, the current position holds that the Council must first achieve a common position among member states before the Commission can legally proceed. For the immediate future, therefore, the seasonal clock change is set to continue as mandated by the existing EU directive. European citizens will once again adjust their watches this October 26, 2025, with the contentious debate over the future of European time relegated, for now, to the backburner of EU policy.
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