EU Pressured to Eliminate Daylight Saving Time, According to Poland's Advocacy
The European Union (EU) has been grappling with a long-standing debate over daylight saving time (DST) since 2019, with no conclusive agreement reached yet. Poland, currently holding the EU presidency, has been leading renewed efforts to eliminate DST, but a binding EU-wide decision remains elusive.
DST was initially introduced in Europe during World War I to conserve energy. Many countries later adopted it permanently. However, studies indicate that the time change creates unnecessary confusion and costs for businesses, and some experts argue that energy savings from DST are minimal and do not justify the inconvenience.
Moreover, numerous studies have linked daylight saving time transitions to negative health effects, including sleep disturbances, increased stress, and a higher risk of heart attacks in the days following the clock shift. Supporters of abolishing DST argue that the twice-yearly clock changes disrupt people's health, productivity, and economic stability.
Poland's push to abolish DST has garnered significant support within the country. Public sentiment strongly favours ending the practice, with polls indicating broad support. For instance, an IBRiS survey conducted for Rzeczpospolita in October 2024 showed that 70% of Poles favour eliminating daylight saving time, while a 2018 study published by Politico put support even higher, at 95%.
The Polish Development Minister, Krzysztof Paszyk, met with European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism Apostolos Tzitzikostas to discuss the initiative. The commissioner has encouraged "the resumption of discussions under the current Polish presidency in order to find a solution." Following talks with Commissioner Tzitzikostas, Dzieciniak indicated that new proposals were introduced but did not provide specifics.
Minister Paszyk expressed confidence that the process "can be completed within six months." However, the challenge remains to unite EU member states behind a single, definitive policy on DST. The European Commission has left the decision to individual countries, a stance reaffirmed by Itkonen.
As of mid-2025, the EU has not formally abolished daylight saving time following Poland's push. While there have been discussions and some member states, including Poland, have expressed interest in ending the twice-yearly clock changes, a binding EU-wide decision to abolish daylight saving time has not been finalized or implemented.
In summary, the EU has yet to implement the abolition of daylight saving time despite national pushes including Poland’s initiative. The decision remains under discussion without a final EU-wide resolution. The fate of daylight saving time in the EU remains uncertain as discussions continue.
[1] European Parliament, "Daylight saving time," European Parliament, accessed May 15, 2025, https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/bibliotheque/briefing/2019/128497/IPOL_BRI(2019)128497_EN.pdf [2] Politico, "EU countries divided over daylight saving time abolition," Politico, March 7, 2019, https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-countries-divided-over-daylight-saving-time-abolition/
- Despite intense debates since 2019, the European Union (EU) has yet to reach a conclusive agreement on abolishing daylight saving time (DST), with Poland leading the newest efforts.
- The initial purpose of DST, introduced during World War I, was to conserve energy, but criticisms have since arisen, including claims of unnecessary business costs, minimal energy savings, and negative health effects.
- Studies show a connection between DST transitions and health issues such as sleep disturbances, increased stress, and higher risks of heart attacks, which have been linked to disruptions in people's health, productivity, and economic stability.
- In Poland, public sentiment strongly supports eliminating DST, with surveys indicating broad support reaching 95% in some instances.
- Minister Krzysztof Paszyk met with European Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas to discuss the initiative, with the commissioner encouraging resumed discussions to find a solution.
- The challenge lies in uniting EU member states behind a single policy on DST, as the European Commission has left the decision to individual countries. As of mid-2025, the EU has not formally abolished DST following Poland's push, leaving the fate of DST in the EU uncertain.
