Europe refuses to change the time and will keep summer time

USPA NEWS - Europe could resign to change the time in winter from this year if the proposal of the president of the European Commission, Jean Claude Juncker, succeeds, following a non-binding survey in which 80% of the five millions of Europeans consulted were in favor of abandon the practice of changing time because it considers that it does not report the expected economic and environmental benefits.

The abolition of the time change will be decided this Friday, the last day of August, according to Jean Claude Juncker confirmed to the German television ZDF. "Millions of citizens have said they no longer want to keep changing the clocks and the European Commission will do what they ask," Juncker announced. The Commission will present a legislative proposal on the subject because, according to its president, "it does not make sense to ask citizens what they think and not take it into account" later. "Millions of people think that summer time should be valid all year long in the future and that's how it will be," Juncker added.

Last February, the European Parliament started the debate on the benefits and usefulness of the time change and adopted a resolution urging the Commission to carry out a "comprehensive review" of the directive regulating the change of time in the 28 member countries of the European Union. MEPs argued that "none of the many existing scientific studies is conclusive." On the contrary, the European Parliament pointed out that the change in schedule is a danger to the health of people, who suffer from fatigue, lack of concentration and, in the most severe cases, depression. Regarding the economic and environmental benefit of the measure, the European Parliament recalled that the EU barely saves between 0.5 and 2.5% of energy.

Other countries, especially from northern Europe, urged the European Commission to eliminate the time change. In July, the Commission launched a survey in which, in addition to asking whether the directive regulating the time change should be annulled, it inquired about whether summer or winter time should prevail. 80% of the citizens who responded to the poll, the largest in the history of the EU, opted to abolish the directive and formalize summer time. If Juncker's proposal is finally approved, each country may also choose its time zone.