The seasonal change of watches is a thorny problem that has been difficult to discard, but the times do not coincide with solar time in many EU countries.
Ends the Time change seasonal is not easy, largely from political reasons. Early from Saturday morning to Sunday, Europeans will lose an hour of sleep when watches are expected. It is something that enjoys few, as evidenced by a 2018 survey, according to which the 84% of EU citizens are against of the phenomenon.
According to scientific studies, the change of time can alters the alignment of our body with sunlightWhat can cause Lack of sleep y It affects several diseases. Change the station clock is also in contrast with the original aim of this practice, Save energyAs explained by “Euronews” Ariadna Güell Sans, deputy director of the time use initiative.
“It has been shown that it is wrong and that’s why It no longer helps us to save energygiven that It was created at a time when there was no internetIn which energy consumption was very different from that time, “he explains.
In fact, the European Commission Tried to end the changes to the white clock with a directive presented in September 2018. The European Parliamentapproved with a great majority It is a broad political consensus: 410 votes in favor, 192 against and 51 abstentions. But the countries have not been able to agree and The proposal has been blocked so far. In addition, governments are dissolved from Brussels to act independently in these issues, since The EU wants any modification to be simultaneous to protect the functioning of the single market.
Lithuania could raise the matter again during its Presidency of the European Union Council in 2027, according to a consultant by President Gitanas Nausėda. “Today we continue to believe it It is possible to obtain a coordinated solution“He said a spokesman for the European Commission when he was asked about the matter:” We encourage resume the debates To find a solution, but we believe it The best thing is that Member States decide together“.
A question influenced by political decisions
However, putting the end of the change of time means making a decision: keeping winter or summer. It is also an authentic political questionsince the times have always been influenced by political decisions.
During the Second World WarGermany has imposed its mandrine at the time of France occupied the countries of Benelux, while the dictator Francisco Franco decided to align Spain with the German by Adolf Hitler. More recently, the Ukrainian Parliament He canceled the change to summer only to avoid aligning himself during the middle of the year with the standard time of Moscow (UTC+3), which Russia had imposed in their territories occupied in Ukraine.
These decisions do not necessarily coincide with the alignment of the call Solar time. “We should be as aligned as possible with our natural programs. To put it in a simple way, it means that when it is 12:00 on my watch, the sun is at its highest point of the day,” explains Ariadna Güell Sans.
This is not the case of the countries of Western Europewhose watches They move considerably at the time of the solar. The result, especially in summer, areManages and late onlywhich significantly influence daily routine in countries such as Space. Therefore, the initiative on the use of time for a healthy company proposes to Radical change with Four programs based on meridians.
Eliminating change would not be the end of the problem
The United Kingdom, in France, Space And the countries of Benelux would at the same time be a mandrine of Western Europe, which corresponds to the current Greenwich Meridian. Ireland and Portugal aligned with Iceland in the Merndino of the time of the Azores islands, an hour late, while all central Europe plus Greece advanced an hour and eastern Europe, including Baltic countries, two hours would have been advanced.
However, This new configuration would increase their complications; For example, Ireland and Northern Ireland would have different hours, which would probably cause a new political problem.
