Daylight saving time begins: Why the time is still changing

The clock will go forward one hour the following night. This ritual annoys many Germans – especially since the EU had long wanted to abolish the time change. What’s the problem?

What happens on Sunday night?

The clocks are put forward from 2 a.m. to 3 a.m. on Saturday night. Sunday is 60 minutes shorter and you can sleep less if you get up at the usual time. At the same time, from Sunday onwards, due to the time change, it will be an hour longer in the evening.

How does the central time change work?

From a purely technical point of view, the time change is unproblematic. The atomic clocks of the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt in Braunschweig are the clocks that keep time in Germany. The signals are transmitted via transmitters, through which the radio clocks automatically adapt to the time change. The time change has also long been routine for Deutsche Bahn.

Put clocks forward or back – how do you notice that?

There are a number of mnemonics for this. One of the best-known is the comparison with garden furniture: In summer, the garden furniture is placed in front of the house in the garden – just as the clock is presented. In winter you put the garden furniture back inside. The same goes for turning the clock back.

How long has the time change been around?

In the German Empire there has only been a uniform time since 1893. At that time, the so-called Central European Time was set. However, in connection with the two world wars, a separate daylight saving time was introduced from 1916 to 1919 and from 1940 to 1949 – primarily to be able to make better use of daylight in agriculture and the armaments industry.

Between 1950 and 1979 Germany did not turn the clocks. Only in the wake of the oil crisis did both German states reintroduce daylight saving time to save energy. By 1996, the different summer time regulations in the European Union were standardized. Since then, Germany has changed its clocks at the end of March and the end of October, i.e. once a year to summer time and once back to normal time.

Why is the abolition being discussed?

For years, surveys have shown that the time change is very unpopular in many European countries. That is why the EU Commission launched a survey in the EU in 2018 – in order to demonstrate its ability to act and be close to the citizen before the 2019 European elections: It was by far the most successful online survey in the history of the EU Commission. The clear result: 84 percent of the approximately 4.6 million participants, including three million Germans, spoke out in favor of abolishing the time change. Most people voted for permanent daylight saving time.

What was the political result of this?

As a consequence, the Commission proposed ending the time change in Europe and leaving it up to the Member States to decide whether they would like to have the previous normal time of the winter months or summer time. The European Parliament spoke out in favor of abolishing the changeover in 2021 – but this has so far had no consequences.

And why is nothing happening?

What is still missing is the approval of the 27 EU countries. But there has been a standstill in this regard for years. The responsible transport ministers in the Council of the EU last dealt with the topic in 2019.

In addition, there is no uniform position among the EU states as to which time should apply in the future. There is concern that the impact of a change has not been adequately researched and analyzed. Observers also fear that Europe could return to a patchwork of different time zones between Greece in the east and Portugal in the west – which would mean new obstacles for the economy, transport and cross-border everyday life.

Why is the time change so controversial?

Critics argue that the two-time change a year messes up the biorhythms of humans and livestock, comparable to mini-jetlag. This leads to health problems for many people, including insomnia and difficulty concentrating. According to a survey by the health insurance company DAK from last year, 27 percent of those surveyed stated that they had had health problems due to the time change.

Green MEP Anna Derparnay-Grunenberg also thinks it’s wrong to give people a mini-jet lag twice a year without needing it: “At EU level it’s actually a tiresome issue because the citizens expect action to be taken , but at the same time the matter is very complicated.”

And what about the issue of energy consumption?

Scientists emphasize that the time change, contrary to what was initially assumed, does not contribute to saving energy: in summer, less electricity is actually used for lighting. In spring and autumn, however, there is also more heating in the morning hours.

What models are there?

It is conceivable to make the previous time of the winter months, which has been normal time in Germany for decades, the standard for the entire year. However, according to surveys, the clear majority of Germans are in favor of permanent summer time.

What are the arguments for permanent summer time?

It would provide longer daylight in the winter evenings. Many proponents see it as a gain for health and performance.

What speaks against it?

Permanent summer time would mean that in winter it would sometimes only get light around 9 a.m. For example, students would complete the first lessons in the dark. According to some doctors, this increases the risk of depression.

What’s next?

Is there still a big time zone with 16 countries? Or do border commuters have to turn the clock twice every day? What about the train, the airports, the logistics companies? And: In winter in Spain, does it only get light in the late morning, while in Poland it gets dark as early as two-thirty? Questions upon questions for which there are still no answers and in the foreseeable future.

Because the current Swedish Council Presidency doesn’t want to deal with the issue either, so they say that a few states should first take an interest in it, which has obviously not been the case for some time.

And the EU Commission has already set the dates for the time change by 2026. So there are many indications that the spokesman for the EU Commission, Eric Mamer, will respond to the now ritualized question from journalists about news on the abolition of the time change in autumn: “We have no news for you. No.”