proposes to the EU to eliminate it completely

We are just a few days away from reaching a ritual that does not feel good at all to our internal clock: time change to winter time. Early next Saturday morning our clocks will be one hour back, which causes many unwanted effects in many people (although you can sleep an hour more). But there is good news for the detractors of this measure: The Government is going to propose that this practice come to an end.

The advertisement. Through his Something that for Sánchez has been blunt: “Frankly, I don’t see the point.”

That is why the Spanish government will bring to the EU Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council a proposal based on three key arguments to dismiss this practice, putting an end to it in 2026, which is the deadline for this practice.

The three arguments. Over the last few years, different reasons have been pointed out to eliminate this time change forever. The first of this is that the argument that energy savings is important to make this delay in the schedule has become obsolete. According to the Spanish executive himself, there is no solid scientific evidence that demonstrates significant energy savings with current consumption patterns and technology, having a marginal impact that does not offset the effects on our health.

And the health of citizens is the second argument they give. When a time change is made, even if only for an hour, our internal biological clock is literally ‘dislocated’, something we know as chronodisruption. This has important negative consequences such as sleep disordersfatigue and a general desynchronization of the body, which has many more negative effects that do not compensate for the benefits that they have wanted to sell us since the 70s. m

The third argument is in the opinion of the citizens. In theory, politics should listen to citizens and citizens have spoken loud and clear. The Government is supported by data that shows massive rejection of this time change. Specifically, it is done reference to public consultation that was made in 2018 at the European level on this matter, which resulted in a rejection of 66% among the Spanish community and an overwhelming 84% against at the European level.

Now she can be the good one. This is not the first time that Europe has tried to rid itself of this vestige of the 20th century. In 2019, The European Parliament with 63% of the votes in favor gave the green light to this suppression. However, the initiative ran aground in the European Councilthe body where all Member States have the final say and where unanimity is needed. The fact that there was no consensus on which time zone to adopt blocked any progress.

So… What has changed? The key is in the calendar. The European directive that regulates the time change has an expiration date: 2026. This opens a perfect window of opportunity to reopen the debate and force a decision before it is necessary to renew it. Spain wants to take advantage of this momentum so that the 27 agree once and for all.

The big decision. What schedule do we stay with? Here there are two options: winter time (GMT+1) which aligns us with geography or summer time (GMT +2) which favors afternoons with more light. This is where the real battle is.

Researchers have an answer: keep winter time. A global study in which the University of Granada participated warned of the negative biological impact that the time change has, and is committed to the time we are going to enter because “winter time avoids excess light in the afternoon/night, considered harmful to health by altering people’s chronobiotic system”, according to the UGR.

In this way, now we have to wait to see if the European Union takes into consideration the proposal launched by Spain to resume this debate and put an end to the hateful (for many) time change.

Images | Ales Krivec Moncloa

In Xataka | The time change is not inevitable. There are many countries that have already gotten rid of it