Why does this process exist and why twice a year? This conversation has been transmitted from homes to the European Commission itself, which is responsible for its control. This led us to submit it to a consultation a few years ago to find out more rigorously what the opinion of the majority of Europeans is on the matter.
This phenomenon has always been linked to a supposed energy saving, but the truth is Since there is no clear evidence or studies in this regard, there are no objective facts why delaying or advancing the time can lead to obvious energy savings.
It is likely that starting next year we will stop changing the time
For all this, after having carried out the survey, the European Commission estimated the proposal in which 84% of the participants chose to maintain the same schedule all year round, without distinction. This would apply to each of the 28 members of the European Union.
What schedule will we have?
It is still unknown, but everything seems to indicate that the schedule that would prevail would be the one corresponding to the current summer time, so starting next year the time will no longer have to be changed.
This measure, despite having been well received by all the members of the European cast, has raised some doubts in countries such as the Netherlands, Czech Republic, Denmark and Finland, which would prefer to maintain winter time. However, Portugal is the only one that would prefer to make use of the two annual time changes.
Advantages and disadvantages of daylight saving time
Like everything, the time change has certain benefits, but also some drawbacks, some of them would be:
Advantages:
- More hours of light to be able to enjoy after work.
- Fewer accidents due to having more visibility on the way back home.
- More consumption and local activities.
Disadvantages:
- It would dawn a little later , especially in countries and cities further north.
- Bedtime would be delayed, perhaps we would lose hours of rest.
Curiously, this change would bring Also some changes regarding time zones, for example for the Canary Islands and London, it would no longer be "one hour less", because they would adopt the same time as the rest of Europe.
In general terms, they will be It is up to the citizens themselves to decide, because in the same way that it was proposed to adopt it, a return could be proposed, but everything seems to indicate that in 2023 the time change will be definitively eliminated.