Time is moving swiftly: the hands on the clock keep spinning
The European Union's (EU) proposal to end seasonal clock changes, commonly known as daylight saving time, has been a topic of debate since 2018. Initiated by former EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, the attempt was met with overwhelming support in a massive public consultation, but challenges to the democratic process and reaching a consensus among member states have proven to be complex and controversial.
In 2018, the European Commission conducted one of the largest public consultations in EU history, gathering the opinions of 4.6 million respondents, primarily from Germany. The results showed that 84% of participants were in favor of ending the biannual time changes. However, concerns were raised about the representativeness of the results, as most participants came from a single country.
The European Parliament voted in favor of the proposal in March 2019, recommending the end of seasonal clock changes from 2021 onward, but with member states free to choose whether to stay on permanent standard or daylight saving time. Despite this democratic mandate, the process has stalled at the Council level, as coordination and consensus remain elusive.
The abolition required unanimous agreement by all member states in the Council of the EU to proceed. As of 2025, no final agreement has been reached, and as a result, EU countries continue to change their clocks twice a year. The topic remains on the agenda, but without a breakthrough in the required unanimous agreement, it is unlikely that anything will change regarding daylight saving time in the near future.
The decision to abolish daylight saving time now lies with the EU member states. The Council presidency, which changes annually, typically guides the process for the member states to agree on a uniform path. However, concerns about time zone fragmentation, logistical challenges, and lack of coordination have prevented further progress.
In summary, the process to abolish daylight saving time was democratic in terms of public consultation and parliamentary approval but lacked broader representativeness and faced intergovernmental hurdles. The proposal has not been implemented due to the need for unanimous agreement among member states. As of 2025, EU countries continue to change their clocks twice a year.
For additional context, similar debates over the democratic legitimacy and outcomes of time change abolition are echoed in other regions, such as Israel and the UK, where proposals have also stalled or faced public pushback. It's important to note that the 2018 survey for the potential abolition of daylight saving time only allowed online voting, representing just over 0.8% of eligible voters in the EU.
[1] European Commission. (2018). Public consultation on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EU) 2016/807 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the establishment of permanent summer time. Retrieved from
[2] BBC News. (2019, March 13). EU votes to end daylight saving time but faces member state hurdles. Retrieved from
[3] The Guardian. (2020, February 21). The EU's daylight saving time debate: why it's so difficult to change the clocks. Retrieved from
The debate over the EU's proposal to end daylight saving time has extended into dynamics of policy-and-legislation and politics, with general-news outlets following the complex and controversial journey of the proposal. Despite the European Parliament's vote in favor of the proposal in 2019 and a massive public consultation supporting the change, the process has been stalled due to intergovernmental hurdles and the need for unanimous agreement among member states.
