On the last Sunday of October, i.e. October 31, 2021, the time change will normally take place and this is because the corona virus pandemic brought changes and put on ice the planning for winter time.
On Sunday, October 31, 2021, the application of the summer-time measure expires, according to the European Parliament and the Council of the EU, regarding the provisions for summer time. The clocks must be moved back an hour, that is, from 04:00 a.m. in 03:00 a.m.
In the European Union, Summer Time begins and ends at 1:00 a.m. World Time (Greenwich). It begins on the last Sunday of March and ends on the last Sunday of October. In the EU, all time zones change at the same time. While most of the United States starts daylight saving time at 2:00 a.m. on the second Sunday of March and returns to normal time on the first Sunday of November. In the U.S., each time zone changes to a different time.
But Europe wants to put an end to the clock change twice a year. In March 2019, the European Parliament voted to end this practice, to adjust the clocks by one hour in spring and autumn, from 2021. However, the EU Council does not seem to have taken the matter so warmly and two years later they have not reached a common position on this issue.
The European Parliament had decided that the time change should stop on the last Sunday of March 2021 for the countries of the European Union that want to permanently maintain summer time, while for the member states that want winter time, the change will take place on the last Sunday of October 2021, i.e. this year on October 31st.
However, the final decision on when the Commission's proposal will acquire legal force depends on the Council of the EU and the European Parliament. The Council of the EU has not yet finalized its position.
Why was the time change introduced in the first place?
Daylight Saving Time (DST) is the practice of setting clocks one hour ahead of standard time during the summer months and again an hour back in the fall in order to make better use of natural daylight.
It was in 1976, on the occasion of the oil crisis, that it was decided in Europe to introduce summer time with the aim of exploiting sunlight for working hours and saving energy.
Less than 40% of countries in the world use the time change. The difference in light is most noticeable in the regions at a certain distance from the Earth's equator.
Some studies show that daylight saving time leads to fewer traffic accidents and injuries providing more daylight during the hours when more people use the roads. While other studies claim that people's health may suffer due to time changes. In addition, many studies disagree about energy savings and while some studies show a positive result, others do not.
