EU asks citizens if they want to abolish daylight saving time

  • 2018-07-06
  • LETA/TBT Staff

BRUSSELS - Europeans are being asked whether they would like to keep daylight saving time or abolish the oft-questioned practice, under which the clocks are moved forward by an hour for six months of the year.

The European Commission has launched a survey that runs until August 16, asking people whether they would prefer to keep daylight savings time or abolish it, as well as whether they prefer the summertime hours - when clocks are one hour ahead - or wintertime.

The survey follows a request from the European Parliament in February, as well as citizens and some EU member states, the Commission said.

In five questions, it asks people to evaluate their experiences with daylight saving time, say whether they would like to keep or abolish the existing arrangements - and why - and specify whether they would prefer clocks to permanently stay ahead or behind.

In March, 73 percent of Germans surveyed said they would prefer to do away with daylight savings time, according to a poll commissioned by the German insurance company DAK. However few expected the practice to end within the next five years.

EU law stipulates that, across the bloc, clocks move forward by an hour on the last Sunday of March, and back again on the last Sunday of October.