Headline article

End of time change: what awaits us

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MARCH 27, 2019

Reading time: 3 min

While the changeover to summer time will take place on the night of Saturday 30 to Sunday 31 March (at 2 o'clock, it will be necessary to advance its watch by one hour), the European Parliament has just voted to eliminate the hourly change in 2021. What will change concretely and what will be the consequences? We set the record straight for you !

One more hour of sleep, or one less ? This question will soon be a thing of the past. Parliamentarians spoke yesterday about the abolition of the change of seasonal time , a project that will take effect in the next two years.

The final alternation could occur in March or October 2021, depending on the choice left to each country to stay in winter time or summer (see below).

How it works

Where does the time change come from? ? The system was originally introduced to save energy during summer time. The goal is then to match the activity areas to the sun to limit the use of artificial lighting.

Currently, the local schedule is moving forward or back one hour twice a year , in the spring and fall. In the interests of harmonization, the changeover to winter and summer time has always been made on the same dates in all the countries of the European Union.

A controversial system

Since its inception, no study has come to confirm firmly and indisputably the usefulness of time change. udder : he has to face the criticism of his many detractors , who consider it disturbing for our biological clock and sleep rhythms, or even the cause of excess mortality on the roads.

In order to settle the issue, the European Commission launched a large online consultation in the summer of 2018 for all citizens. The report was irrevocable, with more than 80% of respondents stating that they wish to end work-study programs.

Who wants what ?

As the resolution adopted by the Parliament is not binding, each country will have to decide whether to adjust its watches to winter time or summer time. And the least we can say is that opinions are divided.

Portugal and Greece have clearly opposed this decision, the neighboring countries of Luxembourg like France, Belgium and Germany , acclaimed summer time. Others, like Denmark and the Netherlands, have given their preference to winter time, when some, like Spain, would like to take advantage of the opportunity to change time zones. .

Cacophony in anticipation?

For the sake of coordination and to avoid tangling the needles, the 27 European states, especially the neighboring countries, are invited to consult each other to find an agreement and avoid an unfathomable headache.

Example speaking between Luxembourg and its neighbors: living with an hour of delay could quickly create many difficulties, especially for cross-border workers who have to undergo an attenuated form of "jet lag" . Namely that in the Grand Duchy, there are more than 200 000, mainly from France, Germany and Belgium, to cross the border every day to get to work. What augur of a hell of a mess ...

No uncertainty in any case for the next transition to winter time , which will occur in 2019 as usual on the last Sunday of October.