Time is money but in EU, time is political too

The saying goes that time is money but in the European Union, time is political too. When clocks are sprung forward across the bloc on Sunday, it will not be the first time despite a desire by millions of EU citizens to see the lights turned out on the biannual change. Research shows that moving the clock back and forth in autumn and spring negatively impacts the economy as well as people’s health, fueling a growing call to see the system torched beyond the EU. The European bloc is the custom in 2018 after nearly four million people in the bloc’s then 28 member states — before Britain formally exited — gave their support in an open consultation. The parliament — directly elected EU body — backed the reform the following year, but it has since fallen into limbo after hitting opposition from some EU states. Under the EU’s process to pass a law, the European Commission makes a proposal that the European Parliament and member states must vote separately — before negotiators for EU countries and MEPs agree on a final text.

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Poland, which holds the bloc’s rotating presidency until July, says it is time to put the issue but can the states agree? Supporters, including lawmakers, point to studies showing the change harms health. “There’s a huge amount of evidence suggesting that changing the clock biannually is bad for human health, bad for animals, bad for road traffic and has very little beneficial attributes. And it’s also a huge inconvenience,” said Irish EU lawmaker Sean Kelly.

“So I think the time has come to say bye-bye,” said Kelly, one of the most vocal proponents of eradicating clock changes.