EU backs ending daylight saving time

Clock changes: EU backs ending daylight saving time – Breaking News

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Clock changes: EU backs ending daylight saving time

The EU made the spring/autumn clock change the rule in all member states in 1996, based on the argument that it would reduce energy costs. But the Commission says the data on energy-saving is inconclusive.

There is also no reliable evidence that the clock changes reduce traffic accidents, the Commission says.

What are the EU’s current time zones?

There are three standard time zones:

• Three states apply GMT (the UK, Ireland and Portugal)
• 17 have Central European Time, which is GMT+1
• Eight have Eastern European Time, which is GMT+2

The current seasonal clock changes are controversial partly because there is a big difference in daylight hours experienced by Scandinavia and by southern Europe.

Nordic countries have long, dark nights in winter and short nights in summer. The pattern in the south is more even across the seasons.

There are anomalies too. For example, neighbours Portugal and Spain are in different time zones, as are Sweden and Finland.

What is the situation in the UK?

The UK adopted Daylight Saving Time in 1916, along with many other nations involved in World War One, in order to conserve coal.

It followed years of pressure from William Willett, a great-great-grandfather of Coldplay singer Chris Martin.

But the UK has had its own debate about time zones.

In 2011, the government proposed a three-year trial of moving to Central European Time, so the time would be GMT+1 in winter and GMT+2 in summer.

The change would have meant lighter evenings but darker mornings, and one of the arguments was that it would reduce accidents. But it was abandoned after opposition from Scotland and northern England, where some areas would not have seen daylight until 10am under the proposal.

Your views from across Europe

Emma in Finland

As a Finn who has lived across Scandinavia I wholeheartedly welcome this initiative.

There have been times that I have fallen asleep at 16:00 in the afternoon or have not seen sunlight for several days due to the times I started and finished work.

• CLICK HERE: To get the original story!

• Well the things stated above or claims are all lies. Many who are and not Christians should know that time was changed back in the 1950′s by the Pope or Catholics we call them. It had nothing to really do with energy saving or the lessening of car accidents
• CLICK HERE—>>> The Catholics of course with the government wanted to be like God (See the book of Genesis
  Exodus.