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Clocks spring forward this weekend

Twice-yearly clock change has been a pan-European ritual since 1981

Remember, the clocks go forward in France - as they do across all European Union countries - this weekend.

The change officially occurs at 2am on Sunday, March 25. The entire hour between 2am and 3am disappears, as European Union-wide daylight saving kicks in as it has every year since 1981.

But time could be running out for the twice-a-year clock change. In February, the European Commission agreed to undertake a review into the value of daylight saving across the bloc.

A European Parliament study found that member nations' energy consumption falls by between 0.5% and 2.5%, depending on the latitude of state in question as a result of daylight saving, while an increase in traffic accidents is recorded in the days immediately following the change. The study also noted that the alteration can adversely affect people's health.

Depending on the outcome of the Commission's study, it could recommend abandoning daylight saving altogether, opt to keep the current system, or let member countries make their own choices.

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