Spain Renews Push to End Daylight Saving Time Ahead of EU Clock Change

As clocks across Germany and most of Europe prepare to fall back this weekend, the longstanding debate over daylight saving time has resurfaced, fueled by Spain's renewed call to end the biannual clock change within the European Union.

Currently, the practice of adjusting clocks twice a year is observed by all EU member states, alongside most other European nations, with notable exceptions including Turkey, Russia, and Iceland. The upcoming transition marks the switch from daylight saving time to standard time, with clocks set back by one hour in the early hours of Sunday. For many, this means an extra hour of sleep, though the springtime change is often considered more disruptive due to the loss of an hour.

The Spanish government, led by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, has recently urged EU counterparts to revisit discussions regarding the discontinuation of daylight saving time. This renewed effort comes in response to studies indicating that the anticipated energy savings from the practice are negligible. According to recent analyses, the impact on electricity consumption is virtually non-existent, challenging one of the original justifications for the time change.

Despite a 2018 proposal by the European Commission to abolish the twice-yearly clock change, the initiative eventually stalled due to a lack of consensus among member states. The main obstacle remains the divergence in national preferences: some countries favor permanent daylight saving time, while others support year-round standard time. These differences complicate efforts to reach a unified solution, as each option would have distinct effects across the continent. For example, if Spain were to adopt permanent daylight saving time, winter mornings would remain dark until nearly 10:00 a.m., whereas permanent standard time would result in much earlier sunrises, particularly in eastern countries like Poland, where dawn could arrive as early as 3:00 a.m. during summer months.

The technical aspects of the time change are managed in Germany by the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), which ensures that accurate legal time is transmitted to public and industrial clocks via the DCF77 longwave radio signal. Their experts routinely verify that systems are correctly programmed for the upcoming time change. The PTB emphasizes that, from a scientific standpoint, they approach the topic with neutrality and focus strictly on the precise coordination of timekeeping systems.

The most recent surge in public debate occurred in 2018, when a large-scale online survey across the EU revealed that 84 percent of respondents opposed the time change. This response initially prompted the European Commission to propose ending the practice as early as 2019. However, disagreements among member states halted any progress, and the topic has since faded from the political agenda.

As the latest clock change approaches, Spain's renewed advocacy highlights persistent divisions within the EU over the future of daylight saving time. Until a consensus is reached, millions of Europeans will continue adjusting their clocks each March and October, despite growing calls for reform and evidence questioning the benefits of the practice.