Why we still change the clocks

Tonight the clock will be set forward by one hour – although the end of the time change in the EU was actually already a done deal. The fact that there is still no new regulation is up to the member states.

Next night it will be that time again: the clocks will be changed, this time forward by one hour. As punctual as the time change, the question arises as to why it still exists at all. Surveys regularly show that changing the time is unpopular and leads to health problems such as sleep disorders for some people.

At the same time, one of the main arguments for changing the time every six months has now been refuted: In the 1970s, the aim was to make better use of the brightness in summer and thus save energy. According to the Federal Environment Agency, this argument is now less valid because lamps are much more economical these days. In addition, according to the authority, people heat more in the cool morning hours of summer time than they would in permanent winter time.

Survey for the end of the time change

To understand why things are not moving forward, it helps to take a look at Brussels. The decision about the time change is a matter for the EU, which wants to ensure a uniform solution. Accordingly, the abolition of the time change would have to come from the EU level. And a few years ago it looked as if this could happen.

In 2018, the EU Commission proposed ending the time change in the European Union. A spokesman cites, among other things, “demands from citizens and member states” as the basis for this. The EU also carried out a survey in which 4.6 million people took part, a good three million of them from Germany. The result was clear: more than 80 percent voted to abolish the time change.

A year later, the European Parliament also agreed to the Commission’s proposal. The idea: The individual member states should decide for themselves whether winter or summer time applies permanently. In the best case, neighboring states would coordinate with each other so that there is no unnecessary patchwork of different time zones.

member states have to agree

But even years after the Commission and Parliament’s initiative, no solution has yet been found. The member states are to blame for this. Without an agreement between the EU countries, nothing can be changed about the time change, which frustrates many members of the European Parliament.

Markus Ferber, MEP from the CSU, hopes that the member states will finally come to an agreement. “We can’t do anything. I think all the arguments have been exchanged, now we can make a decision,” he says.

Anna Cavazzini, German member of the Green Party and chairwoman of the Consumer Protection Committee, describes the abolition of the time change as a “non-starter”, even if she has not completely given up hope for an early solution. “The time between the European elections and the Commission’s new work program would leave enough room for this this summer.”

Permanent summer or winter time in Germany?

But even in Germany there is no consensus as to which time would be the right one in the long term. The standard time in this country is the current winter time. However, according to surveys, many Germans would prefer permanent summer time. This would mean that it would stay bright longer, even on winter evenings. Conversely, however, this would also mean that many people would have to commute to work in the dark and that students would have to make do without daylight in the first few hours of school.

It is therefore unclear which time EU member Germany would choose. MEP Ferber hopes that the discussion will get going again. In his opinion, it could help the EU if Germany took the initiative. “If we really want to make things easier for the citizens here, then we as Germany should also make a commitment.”

As long as there is no agreement in the EU, the clocks will continue to change. The Commission has already set the exact dates until 2026.