Brussels discusses whether to bet on the single schedule after a historical consultation.
Unprecedented participation record, according to the European Commission. More than 4.6 million people have participated in the public consultation on the advisability of eliminating the daylight saving time that Brussels launched. And the message from the Europeans has been clear, Deutsche Welle has learned, eight out of ten Europeans are in favor of the single schedule.
The Commission has not confirmed the information from DW and has announced that they will be published shortly, but at this time the rumors They take for granted the crushing defeat of the time change. When will we stop using the famous phrase “at two it will be three”?
“It is not a referendum”, but the Commission runs out of options
We can say that the elimination of time changes has never been so close, but there are still some pitfalls. The same chief spokesman for the European Commission explained yesterday that the consultation is not the only element that will be taken into account to make the final decision. “It is not a referendum,” said Margaritis Schinas, the Commission’s chief spokesperson.
Today, Violeta Bulc, European Commissioner for Mobility and Transport, plans to present the results at the College of Commissioners and is expected to discuss the matter. Nevertheless, there are still months to reach a final decision.
Meanwhile, the movements against the time change do not stop growing and the pressure increases. Finland and Lithuania have publicly supported the introduction of the single schedule and, in Germany, the favorable groups have increased their prestige. It is true that a public consultation is not a referendum, but it is difficult for the Commission to maintain the time change in these circumstances.
A very complex debate
When it launched the popular consultation, the Commission already explained that on this topic there were many urban myths and legends that complicated the matter. Arguments such as energy saving are not as clear as it might seem and making a decision of this magnitude requires an in-depth analysis.
Above all, because as some experts point out, it is possible that this hourly policy will not have the same effect in all the countries of the Union. Experts such as Martín Olalla have been warning for years that the specific timetables are not only due to the zone in which the countries are located, but, above all, to their geographical position (and its relationship with sunlight).
Basically, the coexistence of the two schedules is a measure to normalize the working day throughout the year and avoid the general disorder caused by the natural tendency that human beings have to be governed by sunlight. In fact, most countries in the world do not change the time because it is not necessary to do so. The central point of the problem is to determine the extent to which European society has become independent of natural cycles. The answer, if the Commission decides to take the step, we will have it sooner than we think.
