On the heels of Europe-wide public surveys that indicate more than 80% support keeping ‘summer time’ all year round, the EU is taking steps to end the twice-a-year ritual of ‘leap forward and fall back.’
Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the European Commission has now swung his support behind the move, which already has preliminary support from the European Parliament. He said the Commission would recommend dropping the switch to winter.
Europe went on the daylight savings plan as a response to the oil shocks of the 1970s, with the idea that longer daylight hours would mean less oil consumption. Popularity and opposition to the idea tends to vary from north to south because of different effects on early-morning habits. Recent studies have indicated there is actually very little effect on oil consumption.
The final steps. after unanimous Council approval is a final vote in the European Parliament. If completed, it may have messy effects in Ireland as the UK prepares to leave the EU; Britain has had daylight savings longer than the EU, and might choose to keep it, placing a ‘time border’ across Ireland. Ireland, the UK and Portugal are already one hour west of the rest.
Photo: Clock of the Church of Saint Paul and Saint Louis du Marais on Rue Saint-Antoine.
I’d be glad to get rid of daylight savings time here as well. Never made much sense to me.