- On March 30, European citizens will move their clocks forward one hour, transitioning towards daylight saving time. Despite the vast scientific evidence on its negative effects in public health and the economy, clock change continues.
- On the eve of the upcoming clock change, Members of the European Parliament and experts gathered to analyse its effects and urge the responsible institutions (the European Commission and the Presidency of the Council of the European Union) to approve ending seasonal clock change by 2026.
- The proposal is based on the plan developed by the Time Use Initiative and the International Alliance for Natural Time, which relies on scientific evidence. It aims to end clock change and keep us as aligned as possible with solar time.
On March 30, European citizens will add an hour to their clocks, transitioning towards Daylight Saving Time (DST). Just before this, on March 18, a conference was held in the European Parliament (EP) organized by Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Seán Kelly and supported by the Time Use Initiative (TUI). The conference brought together experts and MEPs to address the negative impacts of seasonal clock change on health, the economy, and the environment, and to define the next steps to end such a practice in Europe by 2026.
In June 2024, over twenty MEPs signed the manifesto “Tick-Tock Europe: Defending the Right to Time!”, promoted by the TUI, which includes 12 necessary changes that Europe must implement to guarantee the right to time for all citizens, urging endorsers to establish a roadmap to end clock change by 2026.
In October 2024, Irish MEP Seán Kelly, member of the European Popular Party, sent a letter to the European Commission’s (EC) President, Ursula von der Leyen, endorsed by over 70 MEPs from various parties. It requested the end of the summer-winter clock change was to be made a priority during the current term.
Now, endorsers of these initiatives have gathered at an event in the EP to explain the effects of clock change and seek a shared roadmap to propose an end of seasonal clock changes that convinces the responsible organizations (the EC and the Presidency of the Council of the European Union) to approve its processing before the end of 2026.
The event featured international experts: Maria Nikolopoulou, member of the European Economic and Social Committee; Inge Declercq, neurologist and sleep expert; Roelof Hut, chronobiologist; MEP Seán Kelly; and Marta Junqué, Director of TUI.
During the event, Petra Soderqvist, advisor to EC’s Commissioner for Transport, confirmed that “the Commissioner is very interested in the issue of eliminating clock change this legislative term.” Given such a willingness, TUI will continue working with the EP and other European and scientific organizations to ensure that the EC and the Council of the European Union put this topic back in their agenda as soon as possible.
Proposal to End Clock Change
The proposal to end seasonal clock change currently being developed by the EP is based on the plan developed by TUI and the International Alliance for Natural Time (IANT), endorser by multiple research centres and experts from around the world.
TUI and IANT advocate for adopting a permanent time that is as aligned as possible with solar time (natural time). The proposal is based on scientific evidence provided by chronobiology, the scientific discipline that studies biological rhythms. Research shows that correcting the current mismatch between social time and natural time would bring multiple benefits to societal well-being. The developed proposal is a straightforward solution divided into two steps, the first one being to end clock change in Europe.
Myths about DST
In the last 30 years, scientific research has revealed the harmful effects of living in time zones misaligned with natural solar times — which are exacerbated by DST. Negative effects include health risks (such as increased incidence of cancer, diabetes, and mental health issues), adverse economic consequences (reduction in labour and academic performance, and negative impacts on GDP), and detrimental environmental effects (increased pollution and gas emissions).
Despite the scientific evidence, myths about the benefits of DST persist, hindering the end of clock change in the European Union. Main myths include energy savings (studies show that DST does not save energy but may increase consumption), economic benefits (the current system harms the economy due to sleep deprivation and reduced productivity), and the necessity of changing habits (eliminating the clock change would only require adjusting clock hours).
Evidence suggests that ending DST and establishing natural time zones would benefit public health and the economy by better aligning our circadian rhythms with solar time.
