MEPs from several political groups have signed a letter asking EU transport ministers to restart talks on ending the twice-yearly clock change. Emil Radev (GERB/EPP), one of the signatories, made the letter public. The authors want one solution for the whole EU.
The European Commission proposed scrapping the change in September 2018. In more than 7 years, the proposal has made no progress and no one has explained why. The European Parliament backed it by a large majority in March 2019. The EU Council still has no common position, and without one the process cannot move forward.
In the letter, the MEPs ask the ministers to say where their governments stand and whether they are ready to resume talks and push the Commission's proposal forward. They accept that countries must coordinate to avoid problems for transport, cross-border work and the single market. They say political will and close cooperation can solve these problems.
The Commission is working on a new study to help the Council reach a decision.
Radev says there is a risk the issue will be forgotten by March, when clocks go forward to summer time. Last Sunday, clocks went back 1 hour to winter time. "For years we have been waiting for Europe to put an end to this relic," the MEP said.
He says changing the clocks twice a year is outdated and ineffective, harms the body clock and health, and disrupts daily life. He said a political decision is needed that meets people's expectations, because delay undermines trust in the institutions. Radev said that "inaction on an issue that affects the daily lives of millions of Europeans cannot be justified".
About 4.6 million people took part in the Commission's public consultation in 2018, and 84% of them backed ending the clock change. Surveys in various member states have also shown wide support for scrapping it over the years.