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EU Backs Ending Daylight Saving Time (theguardian.com)

New submitter Zarhan writes: Earlier this summer, European Commission conducted a poll on whether EU citizens would like to abolish adjusting their clocks twice a year. The results are now in: 80% of the respondents want to get rid of the changes every spring and autumn. EU Commission is planning to follow through and abolish the practice. In EU, individual countries decide what timezone they belong in, but the clock adjustment is an EU-level decision. The recommendation for now is to stick to summer time year-round, although individual countries will make those decisions. More from DW. The changes are known to affect sleep patterns and causes loss in productivity and even heart attacks, especially when you lose one hour of sleep during the spring change. "I will recommend to the commission that, if you ask the citizens, then you have to do what the citizens say," said Jean-Claude Juncker, the commission's president. "We will decide on this today, and then it will be the turn of the member states and the European parliament."

8 of 260 comments (clear)

  1. Ditch DST, no "permanent" DST by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    As an EU citizen I commented on this and argued for abolishing the DST and keep standard time.

    Staying in permanent "summer time" just means you are in another timezone than you claim. So that is plain stupid. Now you don't only have to know which time zone a country is in, you also have to know if they decided to be in permanent summer time or use the normal time associated with the time zone.

    So, ditch the DST and let the countries decide what time zone they want to be in. NO SUMMER TIME ALLOWED! The effect is the same but it will be a heck lot easier for travelers or people communicating across time zones.

    1. Re:Ditch DST, no "permanent" DST by Squeak · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Being permanently on summer time means, of course, that Greenwich will never be on Greenwich Mean Time. Something sounds a little wrong with that to me.

      --
      This sig is a figment of your imagination.
  2. Re:well now ... by houghi · · Score: 5, Funny

    Almost like that sleazy socialist idea of helping others, instead of taking what you want. One guy tried to make that popular. Long bearded hippy. I believe he is a South American. People wear his t-shirts, unknowing how many people died because of him.

    Called Jesus, or something else Mexican.

    --
    Don't fight for your country, if your country does not fight for you.
  3. Re:well now ... by Dorianny · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The EU commissioners are chosen by the elected governments of each State just like U.S Senators were before the 13th amendment. Any proposed law has to be approved by the EU parliament which is directly elected. The big problem with the EU is that politicians have found it very easy to blame their failures on the "faceless EU technocrats" instead of owning up to them. Italian politicians even blamed the EU for the recent bridge collapse in Genoa

  4. Re:Democracy? by allcoolnameswheretak · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Rest assured. These polls are not known to the average European citizen. Only lobby groups check them, or mobilize others to check them. At no point was there a referendum or something like that.

    80% of the votes where from Germany, probably because the main German public news website actually bothered to publish a story on this poll and provided links to the EU website. This is how I learned of it and why I participated.

    If I hadn't read the article in the news, I would have had no idea.

  5. Re:well now ... by jellomizer · · Score: 5, Informative

    I think you are confusing Socialism with Communism.

    It is an easy mistake to make, because most people are ignorant idiots.
    Socialism is in free market economies with democracy. However there are more regulations and wider government funding for public good initiatives.
    While Communism is the government having direct control of everyone's lives.

    --
    If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
  6. Re:Kick it while it's down! by nitehawk214 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The problem is if you live north of 35 degrees, like most of Europe, it doesn't matter if there is DST or not, there is simply too many hours of daytime in the summer and not enough in the winter.

    --
    I'm a good cook. I'm a fantastic eater. - Steven Brust
  7. Re:well now ... by balbeir · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I live in a "socialist" country and things aren't that bad.

    The problem with socialism is that at some point, the government will run out of other people's money to spend.

    When you run out of good arguments, there is always Thatcher to quote...