Spain seeks to end EU clock change - Prime Minister Sanchez: It has a negative impact on people's health
Spain will try to revive the European bloc's proposal to end the practice of seasonal clock changes, urging Brussels to fulfill its promise. "As you know, the clocks will change again this week and I, frankly, no longer see the point in implementing this practice," Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said in a video posted on the X platform.
"In all the surveys where Spaniards and Europeans are asked, the majority are against changing the clocks," he said. "Moreover, there is ample scientific evidence showing that this practice hardly helps save energy and has a negative impact on people's health and lives."
EU transport, telecommunications and energy ministers are usually the ones who deal with discussions on the union’s time policies, as these can affect the functioning of the single market, as well as energy use and transport safety. “The energy system is changing significantly, and it is important to reopen the debate to find a solution that works best,” said a Spanish government energy representative.
Representatives from northern EU countries such as Finland and Poland have repeatedly raised concerns about the clock change, citing data showing negative physical or mental effects for around 20% of the European population.
In fact, 84% of the 6.4 million citizens who participated in a European Commission public consultation in 2018 expressed support for abolishing seasonal clock changes. To push through this initiative, Spain needs to convince at least 15 of the 27 EU member states or a group of states representing 65% of the union's population, and hope that fewer than four governments oppose it.
Daylight saving time was first introduced in Europe during World War I to save coal, but was abandoned after the conflict ended. Similar energy concerns led most countries to reinstate the practice during World War II and the global oil crisis of the 1970s.
In 1980, the then European Communities adopted the first directive harmonizing the practice of changing the clocks between member states. The current EU rules, in force since 2001, stipulate that clocks go forward one hour at 01:00 on the last Sunday in March and turn back one hour on the last Sunday in October.
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