Have your say on daylight-saving time changes

The European Commission has launched an online consultation asking citizens in member states whether the EU should keep the twice-a-year time change.

Following a number of requests from citizens, from the European Parliament, and from certain Member States, the Commission agreed in February 2018 to investigate current EU summertime arrangements and assess whether they should be changed.

Until August 16, it is gathering views on any potential changes.

"The majority of EU Member States have long applied summertime arrangements, most of which date back to the First and Second World Wars or the oil crisis of the 1970s," the Commission said. At the time, the main reason was to save energy.

Since 2001, the date of the time changes have been synchronised across the whole of the EU.

An increasing number of critics question whether time changes are necessary in the 21st century. In France, the time change saves 440 gigawatt-hours per year, enough to power the lights in Marseille.

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 autumn change.

The study also noted that the alteration can adversely affect people's health - and, in autumn, lead to an increase in traffic collisions.

Meanwhile, concerns over the disturbance of the animals' biorhythm and changes in milking times linked to the time change seem to have largely disappeared due to the use of new equipment, artificial lighting and automated technologies'.

On the side of the opponents at the end of summer and winter time, the evidence is "conclusive" on one point, believes Brussels. Allowing uncoordinated time changes between Member States would damage the internal market by increasing the costs of cross-border trade, inconveniences in the organisation of transport, communications and travel, and reduced productivity in the internal market for goods and services.

You can take part in the consultation by clicking here.