Proposal for a DIRECTIVE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL discontinuing seasonal changes of time and repealing Directive 2000/84/EC
Date: 2018-09-12
Institutions: Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport, European Commission
Subjects: EU Member State, harmonisation of standards, single market, summertime

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   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 12.9.2018 COM(2018) 639 final 2018/0332 (COD)  Proposal for a DIRECTIVE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL discontinuing seasonal changes of time and repealing Directive 2000/84/EC (Text with EEA relevance) {SWD(2018) 406 final}  
 
 
EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM 

1. 

• 

CONTEXT OF THE PROPOSAL 

Reasons for and objectives of the proposal 

EU summer-time arrangements imply that clocks are changed twice per year in order to cater 
for the changing patterns of daylight and to make the best of the available daylight in a given 
period. Clocks are advanced by one hour in the morning of the last Sunday of March and set 
back by one hour in the morning of the last Sunday of October to return to standard time.  

For historic reasons, Member States chose in the past to introduce summertime arrangements. 
Such arrangements were first adopted by Germany and France during the first World War to 
conserve coal, in particular the one consumed for lighting purposes. Britain, most of its allies, 
and  many  European  neutrals  soon  followed  suit  still  during  wartime.  Many  European 
countries later abandoned the measure after the two World Wars ended. Modern summertime 
arrangements  stem  from  1970s,  started  by  Italy  (1966)  and  Greece  (1971).  The  UK  and 
Ireland abolished summertime arrangements in 1968 to harmonise with the rest of Europe but 
then switched back again in 1972. Spain started summertime in 1974, followed by France in 
1976  citing  energy  savings  as  the  objective.  During  1976-1981,  ten  EU  Member  States 
introduced summertime arrangements, mostly to harmonise to neighbouring countries.  

Internationally,  summertime  arrangements  are  observed  in  about  60  countries,  including  in 
North  America  and  Oceania.  However,  a  growing  number  of  EU  neighbours  or  trading 
partners  have  chosen  not  to  apply  or  to  abolish  summertime  arrangements:  examples  are 
Iceland, China (1991-), Russia (2011-), Belarus (2011-) and Turkey (2016-).  
EU legislation on summer-time arrangements was first introduced in 19801 with the objective 
of  unifying  existing  national  summer-time  practices  and  schedules  that  were  diverging, 
thereby  ensuring  a  harmonised  approach  to  the  time  switch  within  the  single  market.  Since 
2001, EU summer-time arrangements have been governed by Directive 2000/84/EC2, setting 
out  the  obligation  on  all  Member  States  to  switch  to  summer-time  on  the  last  Sunday  of 
March  and  to  switch  back  to  their  standard  time  ("winter-time")  on  the  last  Sunday  of 
October.  

In  parallel  to,  and  independent  from,  the  EU  summer-time  arrangements,  territories  of  the 
Member  States  on  the  European  continent  are  grouped  over  three  different  time  zones  or 
standard times. The decision on the standard time is taken individually by each Member State, 
for its entire territory or for different parts of it3.  

The system of bi-annual clock changes has been increasingly questioned, by citizens, by the 
European  Parliament,  and  by  a  growing  number  of  Member  States.  The  Commission  has, 
therefore, analysed available evidence, which points to the importance of having harmonised 
Union  rules  in  this  area  to  ensure  a  proper  functioning  of  the  internal  market.  This  is  also 

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OJ L 205, 7.8.1980, p. 17. 
Directive  2000/84/EC  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  on  summer-time  arrangements, 
OJ L31, 2.2.2001. 
Territories  of  the  Member  States  on  the  European  continent  today  stretch  over  three  time  zones: 
Western  European  Time  or  Greenwich  Mean  Time  (GMT),  Central  European  time  (GMT+1),  and 
Eastern  European  Time  (GMT+2).  Eight  Member  States  in  the  Union  (Bulgaria,  Cyprus,  Estonia, 
Finland,  Greece,  Latvia,  Lithuania  and  Romania)  apply  GMT+2  as  their  standard  time.  17  Member 
States  (Austria,  Belgium,  Croatia,  Czech  Republic,  Denmark,  France,  Germany,  Hungary,  Italy, 
Luxembourg,  Malta,  the  Netherlands,  Poland,  Slovak  Republic,  Slovenia,  Spain  and  Sweden)  apply 
GMT+1  and  three  Member  States  (Ireland,  Portugal  and  United  Kingdom)  apply  GMT.  Specific 
arrangements apply, in particular, to the Azores and to the Canary Islands. 

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supported  by  the  European  Parliament4  as  well  as  other  actors  (e.g.  in  the  transport  sector). 
The  Commission  has  also  carried  out  a  public  consultation,  which  generated  around  4.6 
million  replies,  of  which  84%  were  in  favour  of  discontinuing  the  bi-annual  clock  changes 
while 16% wanted to keep them. Moreover, the issue has been raised by transport ministers in 
recent meetings of the Council in June 2018 and December 2017, and a number of Member 
States have indicated their preference for discontinuing current summer-time arrangements. 

Against this background, the Commission considers it necessary to continue safeguarding the 
proper  functioning  of  the  internal  market  through  a  harmonised  scheme  applicable  to  all 
Member  States,  taking  account  however  of  the  recent  developments  described  above. 
Consequently,  the  Commission  proposes  to  discontinue  the  seasonal  time  changes  in  the 
Union, while ensuring that Member States retain the competence to decide on their standard 
time,  in  particular  whether  they  will  move  to  the  standard  time  corresponding  to  their 
summer-time  on  a  permanent  basis  or  whether  they  will  apply  their  current  standard  time 
permanently.  

• 

Consistency with existing policy provisions in the policy area 

The  current  proposal  to  stop  the  bi-annual  switching  of  time  requires  that  Directive 
2000/84/EC is simultaneously repealed.  

• 

Consistency with other Union policies 

Evidence  suggests  that  a  harmonised  approach  in  this  area  is  necessary  for  the  well-
functioning  of  the  internal  market.  By  abolishing  the  bi-annual  time  switch  for  all  Member 
States, this proposal will maintain a common rule in this area, which is essential for the proper 
functioning of the Union's internal market.   

2. 

• 

LEGAL BASIS, SUBSIDIARITY AND PROPORTIONALITY 

Legal basis 

The  objective  of  this  proposal  is  to  ensure  the  proper  functioning  of  the  internal  market. 
Article 114 TFEU is therefore the adequate legal basis. This is also the legal basis of Directive 
2000/84/EC. 

• 

Subsidiarity (for non-exclusive competence)  

As indicated by evidence, it is important to have Union rules in this area to ensure the proper 
functioning of the internal market. Given the increased questioning of the current summertime 
arrangements, the only alternative available to continue ensuring a harmonised approach is a 
coordinated abolishment of bi-annual clock changes, as outlined in the current proposal. With 
a view to ensuring a continued harmonised approach, the Commission, therefore, proposes to 
discontinue seasonal clock changes in the Union, while leaving the decision to each Member 
State as to its standard time, and in  particular as to  whether it will change its standard time 
(one hour forward) to coincide with its current summer-time on a permanent basis, or whether 
it will apply the standard time that corresponds with its current "winter-time" on a permanent 
basis. 

• 

Proportionality 

The Commission's proposal respects the proportionality principle in that it does not go beyond 
what it necessary to achieve the objective of continuing to safeguard the proper functioning of 

4 

EP Resolution: B8-0070/2018 / P8_TA-PROVE(2018)0043, of 8 February 2018 

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the internal market as regards time arrangements. For this purpose it provides for harmonised 
time  arrangements  in  the  Union,  without  removing  the  right  of  Member  States  to  decide 
whether  they  apply  summer-time  or  "winter-time".  The  proposal  does  not  affect  Member 
States' right to decide on the standard time or times to be applied in the territories under their 
jurisdiction.  

• 

Choice of the instrument 

Given that Member States remain free to choose their standard time or times and in particular, 
in 2019 , will have to choose whether they will apply summer- or "winter-time" and given that 
it will be necessary to adopt  provisions to such effect under national law, a Directive is the 
most adequate form for this proposal.  

3. 

• 

RESULTS 
CONSULTATIONS AND IMPACT ASSESSMENTS 

EX-POST 

EVALUATIONS, 

OF 

STAKEHOLDER 

Ex-post evaluations/fitness checks of existing legislation 

Numerous studies have been carried out over the years on the EU summer-time arrangements. 
This includes various studies and reports contracted out or prepared by the Commission: for 
instance,  an  examination  of  the  impact  of  EU  summer-time  arrangements  on  the  main 
economic sectors as well on health and leisure in 19995, a Commission report on the impact of 
the  summer-time  Directive  in  20076,  and  study  of  the  possible  implications  of  a  non-
harmonised  summer-time  system  in  the  EU  in  20147.  In  February  2016,  the  German 
Bundestag  published  a  report  on  the  impact  of  summer-time8  and,  in  October  2017,  the 
European  Parliament's  Research  Service  presented  a  report  summarising  the  latest  state  of 
play of existing evidence on summer-time9.  

In  terms  of  impacts  of  summer-time  arrangements,  evidence  as  referenced  in  the  above 
reports indicates the following: 

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Internal market: At this juncture, evidence is conclusive on one point: that allowing 
uncoordinated  time  changes  between  Member  States  would  be  detrimental  to  the 
internal  market  due  to  higher  costs  to  cross-border  trade,  inconveniences  and 
possible disruption in  transport,  communications  and travel, and  lower productivity 
in the internal market for goods and services.  

final, 

COM(2007)739 

Reincke and van den Broek, Research voor Beleid, Summertime, In-depth investigation into the effects 
of  summer-time  clock  arrangements  in  the  European Union,  1999  (study conducted  for  the  European 
Commission) 
Communication  from  the  Commission  under  Article  5  of  the  Directive  2000/84/EC  on  summer-time 
arrangements, 
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-
content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:52007DC0739&from=EN  
ICF  International,  The  application  of  summertime  in  Europe:  a  report  to  the  European  Commission 
Directorate-General 
2014, 
https://ec.europa.eu/transport/sites/transport/files/facts-fundings/studies/doc/2014-09-19-the-
application-of-summertime-in-europe.pdf 
Cavaziel  and  Revermann,  Bilanz  der  Sommerzeit:  Endbericht  zum  TA-Projekt,  TAB,  Office  of 
Technology  Assessment  at  the  German  Bundestag,  Report  No  165,  February  2016,  http://www.tab-
beim-bundestag.de/de/untersuchungen/u20100.html 
European Parliamentary Research Service, EU summer-time arrangements under Directive 2000/84/EC: 
Ex-post impact assessment, October 2017, 
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document.html?reference=EPRS_STU%282017%2961100
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(DG  MOVE), 

for  Mobility 

September 

Transport 

and 

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Energy:  Despite  having  been  one  of  the  main  drivers  of  the  current  arrangements, 
research indicates that the overall energy savings effect of summer-time is marginal. 
However,  results  tend  to  vary  depending  on  factors  such  as  geographical  location. 
Some reported examples in Member States include:  

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The Italian TSO Terna reported in 2016, that the annual energy saving due to 
summer-time  was  about  580  GWh  in  Italy  (~0,2%  of  the  annual  electricity 
consumption) that is an annual saving of around EUR 94,5 million.10   

In France, ADEME (Agence de l'Environnement et de la Maitrise de l'Energie) 
estimated in 2010, that the savings in lighting were about 440 GWh (~0,1% of 
annual  electricity  consumption),  with  possibly  some  thermal  savings.  EDF 
estimated in 1995 that the savings were around 1200 GWh, the later estimates 
however are closer to the 2010 results.11  

The  German  Association  of  Water  and  Energy  Industries  (BDEW)  stated  in 
2015  that  the  savings  in  Germany  have  become  irrelevant,  since  lighting 
energy  has  reduced  to  about  8%  of  the  energy  consumption,  whereas  the 
energy for leisure activities has increased.12  

In  Spain,  the  Institute  of  Diversification  and  Energy  Savings  (IDAE)  reports 
for  2015  a  reduction  of  5%  of  total  lightning  electricity  consumption  due  to 
summer-time, equivalent to an annual saving of EUR 300 million.13   

The  2014  study  commissioned  by  the  Commission  found  that  summer-time 
arrangements  cause  administrative  problems  for  gas  operators  when  placing 
bookings with Transmission System Operators.14   

The  deployment  of  new  technologies  for  lighting  (and  smart  meters,  programming 
the  energy  saving  potential  of  summertime 
devices,  etc)  already  reduces 
arrangements. 

Health:  Some  studies  indicate  that  summer-time  arrangements  could  generate 
positive effects linked to more outdoor leisure activities. On the other hand, there are 
chronobiologic research findings that suggest that the effect on the human biorhythm 
may be  more severe than previously thought. For instance, the Bundestag report of 
2016 refers to findings which indicate that the human biological rhythm adjusts less 
well than previously thought to the spring clock change and that it may take certain 
chronotypes of people several weeks to adjust, while the autumn change poses fewer 
problems.  However,  the  evidence  on  overall  health  impacts  (i.e.  the  balance  of  the 
assumed positive versus negative effects) remains inconclusive.  

Barbarulo, Eliana, 'Terna: con ora legale risparmio energetico pari a 94,5 mln di euro', 26/03/2016, 
http://www.ambientequotidiano.it/2016/03/26/ora-legale-risparmio-energetico/. 
ADEME, 'Changement d’heure : quels impacts ?', 23/10/2014, http://www.presse.ademe.fr/2014/10/les-
impacts-du-changement-dheure.html.  
Presentation of Michael Wunnerlich, Bundesverband der Energie- und Wasserwirtschaft at 'Is it Time to 
Revisit summertime, Public Hearing by the Committees JURI, ITRE and TRAN' on the 23/05/2015 at 
the European Parliament. 
Instituto  para  la  Diversificacion  y  Ahorro  de  la  Energia,  'La  madrugada  del  domingo,  25  de  octubre, 
finaliza 
2015, 
http://www.idae.es/index.Php/id.327/mod.noticias/mem.detalle 
ICF  International,  The  application  of  summertime  in  Europe:  a  report  to  the  European  Commission 
Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport (DG MOVE), September 2014 

Verano”', 

October 

“Hora 

de 

la 

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Road safety: Evidence remains inconclusive with regard to the relationship between 
summer-time arrangements and road traffic accidents. Some studies show that sleep 
deprivation from advancing the clock in spring would increase the risk of accidents. 
It  is,  however,  generally  difficult  to  directly  attribute  the  effect  of  summer-time 
arrangements on accident rates as compared to other factors. 

Agriculture:  Summertime  arrangements  have  raised  concerns  regarding  disrupted 
biorhythm  of  animals  and  changing  milking  and  feeding  schedules  due  to  the  time 
switch.  However  those  concerns  appear  to  progressively  disappear  due  to  the 
deployment of new equipment, artificial lighting and automated technologies.  

• 

Stakeholder consultations 

The  Commission  carried  out  a  public  consultation  between  4  July  and  16  August  2018  to 
gather the views of European citizens, stakeholders and Member States on the EU summer-
time  arrangements  as  set  out  in  Directive  2000/84/EC  and  on  any  potential  change  to  those 
arrangements, notably the abolishment of the bi-annual time switch.  

Even though the consultation period was shorter than the standard 12 week period, around 4.6 
million  replies  were  received  with  over  99  %  of  replies  coming  from  citizens.  Responses 
came  from  all  Member  States,  even  if  response  rates  varied  across  countries:  Germany, 
Austria  and  Luxembourg  had  the  highest  response  rates,  followed  by  Finland,  Estonia  and 
Cyprus. 84% of all respondents want to abolish the bi-annual time switch, while 16% want to 
keep  it.  Broken  down  by  Member  States,  it  shows  that  citizens  and  stakeholders  in  all 
Member  States  are  overall  in  favour  of  abolishing  the  bi-annual  clock  change,  except  in 
Greece  and  Cyprus  where  a  small  majority  of  respondents  prefer  keeping  current 
arrangements; in Malta it is close to half/half. In the public authorities' category, a majority 
also indicated their preference for abolishing the biannual time switch. The main reason given 
by  respondents  wishing  to  abolish  the  current  system  is  human  health,  followed  by  lack  of 
energy saving. 

More details about the public consultation on EU summertime arrangements can be found in 
the accompanying report of results.15  

• 

Impact assessment 

The  reason  for  legislating  in  this  area  at  EU  level  has  been  to  harmonise  existing  national 
summertime practices and schedules which were diverging. The Commission first brought up 
the issue of the adverse effects stemming from diverging national summer-time practices on 
the  internal  market  –  on  cross-border  transport,  communications  and  commerce  –  in  a 
Communication16  in  1975.  The  ICF  study  of  2014,  commissioned  by  the  Commission 
examined  the  (hypothetical)  implications  of  non-harmonised  summer-time  schemes,  notably 
on the functioning of the internal market but also on businesses and citizens, and concluded 
that  asynchronous  arrangements  would  generate  higher  costs,  greater  inconvenience  and 
lower productivity in the internal market for goods and services.     
Other studies17 also point to the benefits of a harmonised approach for the single market and 
to  the  risk  of  fragmentation  in  the  absence  thereof.  In  other  areas,  evidence  either  points  to 

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16 

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SWD (2018) 406 
European  Commission,  Introduction  of  summer  time  in  the  Community,  COM(75)319,  https://eur-
lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?qid=1508082547523&uri=CELEX:51975DC0319  
For example, the European Parliamentary Research Service report of 2017 

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marginal  impacts  stemming  from  summer-time  arrangements  (e.g.  relatively  small  energy 
savings effects) or it remains inconclusive (e.g. on overall health impacts, road safety). 

In February 2018, the European Parliament's resolution asked the Commission to conduct an 
assessment of the Directive and, if necessary, come up with a proposal for its revision. At the 
same time, the resolution stated that "it is essential to maintain a unified EU time regime even 
after the end of biannual time changes".  

The Commission's assessment is that common rules in this area remain critical to ensure the 
proper  functioning  of  the  internal  market.  The  main  policy  alternatives  to  ensure  such  a 
harmonised regime are to 1) keep the EU summer-time arrangements as set out in Directive 
2000/84/EC, or 2) discontinue the bi-annual time changes for all Member States; this would 
not affect the choice of time zone, and it would remain each Member State's decision whether 
to  go  for  permanent  summer-time  (by  changing  their  current  standard  time)  or  stay  with  so 
called "winter-time" (which corresponds to their current 'standard' time).  

The  Commission  considers  it  necessary  to  act  now  in  order  to  continue  safeguarding  the 
proper  functioning  of  the  internal  market,  while  taking  account  of  the  most  recent 
developments and avoid potentially significant disruptions in the internal market.  

Based  on  the  evidence  available  on  the  effects  of  the  EU  summer-time  arrangements,  as 
referenced above, the conclusion can be drawn that a continued harmonised regime – whereby 
all  Member  States  abolish  the  bi-annual  time  changes  –  would  remain  beneficial  for  the 
functioning of the internal market. Effects on other areas are rather inconclusive and are likely 
to  depend  on  the  geographical  location  and  whether  Member  States  choose  to  stay  with 
permanent summer- or permanent winter-time.       

As already mentioned, the choice of the standard time and whether or not to go for permanent 
summer-  or  permanent  winter-time  is  up  to  each  Member  State.  The  impact  of  this  choice 
therefore  needs  to  be  assessed  at  national  level.  Overall,  the  impacts  are  likely  to  differ 
depending on the geographical situation of each Member State: The northern Member States 
already  have  a  big  seasonal  change  in  available  daylight  in  the  course  of  the  year.  They 
consequently  experience  dark  winters  with  little  daylight  and  bright  summers  with  short 
nights. For the more southern Member States, these differences are not as extreme, as day and 
night  distribution  does  not  change  as  much  over  the  year.  The  location  of  countries  within 
their  time  zone  is  also  likely  to  be  of  great  significance.  The  closer  a  country  is  located 
towards  the  West  of  the  time  zone,  the  later  the  sunrise  and  sunset  occur,  whereas  on  the 
Eastern side of the time zone, mornings will be lighter and the sun will set earlier18. 

A change of system will also bring about transition costs. While the current costs generated 
by the bi-annual time switch will disappear, there would be transitional costs for switching to 
a new time regime without seasonal changes. IT systems would have to be reprogrammed and 
reconfigured.  This  will  be  critical  for  scheduling  and  calendaring  software  (health  systems, 
travel booking systems) and time-dependent software as well as for "smart" technologies.19 In 
transport, timetables would need to be adjusted. As stressed by some stakeholders in response 
to the public consultation it will therefore be essential to give a certain lead time for such a 
change. 

18 

19 

See  https://ec.europa.eu/transport/sites/transport/files/sunset-sunrise-table.pdf  for  more  details  on  the 
timing  of  the  sunrise  and  sunset  in  all  European  capitals,  under  a  regime  of  permanent  summer-time 
versus permanent standard (winter) time.  
ICF  International,  The  application  of  summertime  in  Europe:  a  report  to  the  European  Commission 
Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport (DG MOVE), September 2014 

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• 

Regulatory fitness and simplification 

The  proposal  pursues  the  objective  of  increasing  effectiveness  and  reducing  regulatory  and 
administrative  burdens  for  businesses  and  citizens.  It  does  so  mainly  by  simplifying  time 
arrangements  in  the  Union,  with  the  removal  of  regular  seasonal  time  changes  and  the 
introduction of permanent time arrangements, which should be easier and less burdensome to 
implement.  

• 

Fundamental rights 

Not applicable. 

4. 

BUDGETARY IMPLICATIONS 

Not applicable. 

5. 

• 

OTHER ELEMENTS 

Implementation plans and monitoring, evaluation and reporting arrangements 

In  order  to  assess  the  impacts  of  this  Directive,  in  particular  as  regards  the  effects  on  the 
functioning of the internal market, but also as regards impacts on stakeholders and the lives of 
citizens, the Commission will report on the implementation of this Directive to the European 
Parliament and to the Council, not later than 31 December 2024, at which time there should 
be sufficient information on its effects. 

In  order  to  enable the Commission  to  report on the impact  of the Directive, Member  States 
should  provide  assistance  and  all  relevant  information  to  the  Commission  as  regards  its 
implementation. 

• 

Detailed explanation of the specific provisions of the proposal 

Article  1(1),  in  conjunction  with  Article  4(1),  provides  that  as  from  1  April  2019  Member 
States will no longer apply changes to their standard time or times – for those Member States 
which  for  geographical  reasons  have  several  –  which  are  linked  to  the  seasons  of  the  year. 
Member  States  would  still  make  a  switch  to  summer-time  arrangements  in  accordance  with 
Directive  2000/84/EC  on  31  March  2019,  after  which  they  would  no  longer  apply  seasonal 
time changes as from 1 April 2019. 

Article  1(2)  provides  Member  States  with  the  option  to  choose  to  make  one  more  seasonal 
change of their standard time or times on Sunday, 27 October 2019, at 1.00 a.m., Coordinated 
Universal Time. As from that change, those Member States which chose to apply Article 1(2) 
would also no longer apply seasonal changes to their standard time. 

Article 2 underlines that Member States remain free to make changes to their standard time 
which  are  not  linked  to  seasonal  changes.  However,  since  unforeseen  changes  to  standard 
time  made  by individual Member States could impact the proper  functioning of the  internal 
market, in order to avoid such disturbances Member States should inform the Commission in 
due time of their intention to change their standard time. From the moment when less than 6 
months  remain  until  a  notified  change  takes  effect,  Member  States  should  implement  the 
notified  changes  to  avoid  legal  uncertainty  and  possible  further  disruptions  in  the  internal 
market. The Commission will inform all Member States and publish this information, so that 
national  authorities,  economic  operators  and  citizens  can  be  informed  in  an  adequate  and 
timely way and they can prepare for the change. 

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In order to evaluate whether the Directive has attained the above objective of safeguarding the 
proper  functioning  of  the  internal  market  and  to  assess  its  impacts,  the  Commission  will, 
pursuant to Article 3, submit a report to the European Parliament and to the Council, on the 
basis of information provided by Member States, as well as other relevant information. 

Article  4  provides  that  Member  States  shall  transpose  the  Directive  by  1  April  2019.  This 
assumes swift adoption of the present proposal by the Council and European Parliament, by 
March  2019  at  the  latest.  Member  States  shall  apply  the  Directive  from  1  April  2019.  This 
means that Member States shall notify by 27 April 2019, based on possible consultations and 
assessments at national level and concertation with other Member States, whether, in October 
2019, they intend to move on a durable basis to a standard time corresponding to their current 
"winter-time", rather than to their current summer-time. 

From  the  entry  into  full  application  of  this  Directive  Member  States  will  no  longer  apply 
seasonal changes to their standard times pursuant to Directive 2000/84/EC. Therefore, Article 
5 provides that it should be repealed. 

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2018/0332 (COD) 

Proposal for a 

DIRECTIVE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL 

discontinuing seasonal changes of time and repealing Directive 2000/84/EC 

(Text with EEA relevance) 

THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, 

Having  regard  to  the  Treaty  on  the  Functioning  of  the  European  Union,  and  in  particular 
Article 114 thereof, 

Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission, 

After transmission of the draft legislative act to the national parliaments, 
Having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee20,  

Acting in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure, 

Whereas: 

(1)  Member  States  chose  in  the  past  to  introduce  summer-time  arrangements  at  national 
level.  It  was,  therefore,  important  for  the  functioning  of  the  internal  market  that  a 
common date and time for the beginning and end of the summer-time period be fixed 
throughout  the  Union.  In  accordance  with  Directive  2000/84/EC  of  the  European 
Parliament  and  of  the  Council21,  all  Member  States  currently  apply  summer-time 
arrangements  from  the  last  Sunday  in  March  until  the  last  Sunday  in  October  of  the 
same year.  

(2) 

(3) 

(4) 

20 
21 

In  its  resolution  of  8  February  2018,  the  European  Parliament  called  on  the 
Commission to conduct an assessment of the summer-time arrangements provided by 
Directive  2000/84/EC  and,  if  necessary,  to  come  up  with  a  proposal  for  its  revision. 
That resolution also confirmed that it is essential to maintain a harmonised approach to 
time arrangements throughout the Union.  

The Commission has examined available evidence, which points to the importance of 
having  harmonised  Union  rules  in  this  area  to  ensure  the  proper  functioning  of  the 
internal  market  and  avoid,  inter  alia,  disruptions  to  the  scheduling  of  transport 
operations  and  the  functioning  of  information  and  communication  systems,  higher 
costs to cross-border trade, or lower productivity for goods and services. Evidence is 
not conclusive as to whether the benefits of summer-time arrangements outweigh the 
inconveniences linked to a biannual change of time. 

A  lively  public  debate  is  taking  place  on  summer-time  arrangements  and  some 
Member States have already expressed their preference to discontinue the application 
of  such  arrangements.  In  the  light  of  these  developments,  it  is  necessary  to  continue 

OJ C , , p. . 
Directive  2000/84/EC  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  on  summer-time  arrangements 
(OJ L 31, 2.2.2001, p. 21). 

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(5) 

(6) 

(7) 

(8) 

(9) 

safeguarding the proper functioning of the internal market and to avoid any significant 
disruptions  thereto  caused  by  divergences  between  Member  States  in  this  area. 
Therefore,  it  is  appropriate  to  put  an  end  in  a  coordinated  way  to  summer-time 
arrangements. 

This  Directive should not  prejudice the right  of each Member  State to decide on the 
standard  time  or  times  for  the  territories  under  its  jurisdiction  and  falling  under  the 
territorial scope of the Treaties, and on further changes thereto. However, in order to 
ensure that the application of summer-time arrangements by some Member States only 
does not disrupt the functioning of the internal market, Member States should refrain 
from  changing  the  standard  time  in  any  given  territory  under  their  jurisdiction  for 
reasons  related  to  seasonal  changes,  be  such  change  presented  as  a  change  of  time 
transport, 
zone.  Moreover, 
communications  and  other  concerned  sectors,  they  should  notify  the  Commission  in 
due  time  of  their  intention  to  change  their  standard  time  and  subsequently  apply  the 
notified changes. The Commission should, on the basis of that notification, inform all 
other  Member  States  so  that  they  can  take  all  necessary  measures.  It  should  also 
inform the general public and stakeholders by publishing this information.  

to  minimise  disruptions, 

inter  alia, 

in  order 

to 

Therefore, it is necessary to put an end to the harmonisation of the period covered by 
summer-time  arrangements  as  laid  down  in  Directive  2000/84/EC  and  to  introduce 
common  rules  preventing  Member  States  from  applying  different  seasonal  time 
arrangements  by  changing  their  standard  time  more  than  once  during  the  year  and 
establishing  the  obligation  to  notify  envisaged  changes  of  the  standard  time.  This 
Directive aims at contributing in a determined manner to the smooth functioning of the 
internal market and should, consequently, be based on Article 114 of the Treaty on the 
Functioning  of  the  European  Union,  as  interpreted  in  accordance  with  the  consistent 
case-law of the Court of Justice of the European Union. 

This  Directive  should  apply  from  1  April  2019,  so  that  the  last  summer-time  period 
subject  to  the  rules  of  Directive  2000/84/EC  should  start,  in  every  Member  State,  at 
1.00 a.m., Coordinated Universal Time, on 31 March 2019. Member States that, after 
that  summer-time  period,  intend  to  adopt  a  standard  time  corresponding  to  the  time 
applied  during  the  winter  season  in  accordance  with  Directive  2000/84/EC  should 
change their standard time at 1.00 a.m., Coordinated Universal Time, on 27 October 
2019,  so  that  similar  and  lasting  changes  occurring  in  different  Member  States  take 
place  simultaneously.  It  is  desirable  that  Member  States  take  the  decisions  on  the 
standard time that each of them will apply as from 2019 in a concerted manner. 

Implementation of this Directive should be monitored. The results of this monitoring 
should be presented by the Commission in a report to the European Parliament and to 
the Council. That report should be based on the information that is made available to 
the Commission by the Member States in a timely fashion to allow for the report to be 
presented at the specified time. 

Since the objectives of this Directive as regards harmonised time arrangements cannot 
be  sufficiently  achieved  by  the  Member  States  but  can  rather  be  better  achieved  at 
Union  level,  the  Union  may  adopt  measures,  in  accordance  with  the  principle  of 
subsidiarity  as  set  out  in  Article  5  of  the  Treaty  on  European  Union.  In  accordance 
with the principle of proportionality, as set out in that Article, this Directive does not 
go beyond what is necessary to achieve those objectives.  

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(10)  The  harmonised  time  arrangements  should  be  applied  in  accordance  with  the 
provisions on the territorial scope of the Treaties specified in Article 355 of the Treaty 
on the Functioning of the European Union.  

(11)  Directive 2000/84/EC should therefore be repealed, 

HAVE ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE: 

1. 

2. 

1. 

2. 

1. 

2. 

1. 

Article 1 

Member States shall not apply seasonal changes to their standard time or times. 

Notwithstanding  paragraph  1,  Member  States  may  still  apply  a  seasonal  change  of 
their  standard  time  or  times  in  2019,  provided  that  they  do  so  at  1.00  a.m., 
Coordinated  Universal  Time,  on  27  October  2019.  The  Member  States  shall  notify 
this decision in accordance with Article 2. 

Article 2 

Without prejudice to Article 1, if a Member State decides to change its standard time 
or times in any territory under its jurisdiction, it shall notify the Commission at least 
6  months  before  the  change  takes  effect.  Where  a  Member  State  has  made  such  a 
notification  and  has  not  withdrawn  it  at  least  6  months  before  the  date  of  the 
envisaged change, the Member State shall apply this change. 

Within 1 month of the notification, the Commission shall inform the other Member 
States  thereof  and  publish  that  information  in  the  Official  Journal  of  the  European 
Union. 

Article 3 

The Commission shall report to the European Parliament and to the Council on the 
implementation of this Directive by 31 December 2024 at the latest.  

Member  States  shall  provide  the  Commission  with  the  relevant  information  by  30 
April 2024 at the latest.  

Article 4 

Member  States  shall  adopt  and  publish,  by  1  April  2019  at  the  latest,  the  laws, 
regulations  and  administrative  provisions  necessary  to  comply  with  this  Directive. 
They shall forthwith communicate to the Commission the text of those provisions.  

They shall apply those provisions from 1 April 2019.  

When  Member  States  adopt  those  provisions,  they  shall  contain  a  reference  to  this 
Directive  or  be  accompanied  by  such  a  reference  on  the  occasion  of  their  official 
publication. Member States shall determine how such reference is to be made.  

2. 

Member States shall communicate to the Commission the text of the main provisions 
of  national  law  which  they  adopt  in  the  field  covered  by  this  Directive. 

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Directive 2000/84/EC is repealed with effect from 1 April 2019. 

Article 5 

This Directive shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in 
the Official Journal of the European Union. 

Article 6 

This Directive is addressed to the Member States. 

Done at Brussels, 

Article 7 

For the European Parliament 
The President 

For the Council 
The President 

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