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Poland shifts to summer time as EU debates abolishing time changes

30.03.2025 10:10
Warsaw, like many cities in Europe, moved clocks forward from 2:00 to 3:00 AM on the last weekend of March.
Warsaw, like many European cities, set clocks forward an hour last night. Once beneficial for industry, the practice now causes more disruption than advantage, but the EU still cant agree on ending it.
Warsaw, like many European cities, set clocks forward an hour last night. Once beneficial for industry, the practice now causes more disruption than advantage, but the EU still can't agree on ending it.Photo: Iwona Castiello d'Antonio, Joshua Hoehne/Unsplash.com/CCO

While the practice once helped maximize daylight for industry, many now argue it no longer offers significant benefits and causes disruptions, especially in transportation - yet the European Union still can't agree on abolishing it.

Originally intended to maximize daylight for industrial work, the time change is now seen as unnecessary in the modern economy, according to PKO Bank Polski’s chief economist.

In a comment for Polish Radio, he argued that it causes more problems than benefits, particularly in transportation and scheduling.

Despite discussions about abolishing the practice, EU countries have yet to reach an agreement, so the next switch back to standard time will happen in late October.

Europeans oppose time changes. What's the hold-up?

According to Polish Minister of Development Krzysztof Paszyk, European Commission supports Poland's presidency initiative to continue work on the directive to abolish time changes. However, Brussels' bureaucratic machinery has been a major obstacle.

In a comment to the Polish state news agency PAP, Paszyk emphasized that seasonal time changes no longer have a valid rationale in today's modern economy.

Despite growing opposition from European citizens and the obvious downsides, the European Union has yet to reach a resolution on the matter, as negotiations continue.

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Source: IAR/PAP