Poland has secured backing from the European Commission in its renewed push to abolish daylight saving time (DST) across the European Union, aiming to put an end to the twice-yearly clock changes.
The Polish government, which currently holds the six-month rotating presidency of the EU, has prioritized eliminating DST as part of its agenda. On Wednesday, Polish Development Minister Krzysztof Paszyk met with European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism Apostolos Tzitzikostas to discuss the initiative.
“We have the full support of the commissioner in the matter of abolishing the time change,” said Małgorzata Dzieciniak, spokesperson for Poland’s development ministry, in an interview with Polskie Radio.
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European Commission spokeswoman Anna-Kaisa Itkonen later confirmed that Brussels encourages “the resumption of discussions under the current Polish presidency in order to find a solution.”
A Renewed Push for Reform
Efforts to scrap daylight saving time in the EU have been ongoing for years. In 2018, the European Commission proposed ending the practice, and the European Parliament supported the idea. However, progress stalled due to resistance from some member states, according to Politico Europe.
Poland has now revived the discussion, arguing that abolishing DST would bring economic and health benefits. Minister Paszyk has positioned the issue as a priority for Poland’s presidency, which runs through the first half of 2025.
🇵🇱 Poland is pushing for the EU to abolish daylight saving time—and has the backing of the European Commission. With strong public support and economic arguments, Warsaw hopes to finalize the change during its EU presidency. Will the clock stop changing for good? ⏰🇪🇺 pic.twitter.com/UIlK1CyZ3Z
— Poland 24 🇵🇱 (@poland24com) March 28, 2025
“We have placed this topic on the agenda of the Polish presidency,” Paszyk said in December. “We consider it very important. Now, appropriate actions will [be taken] toward this purpose.”
He emphasized that Poland’s leadership position within the EU presents an opportunity to persuade other member states. “The opportunities that the presidency creates for us provide a good chance to convince our partners to carry this out through European institutions,” he said, expressing confidence that the process “can be completed within six months.”
Economic and Health Considerations
Supporters of abolishing daylight saving time argue that the twice-yearly clock changes disrupt people’s health, productivity, and economic stability. Paszyk pointed to studies indicating that the time change creates unnecessary confusion and costs for businesses.
“Time change processes cause unnecessary confusion and, worse still, costs for many companies,” he told Polskie Radio. “We will do everything to ensure that this process gains the right momentum as far as the EU is concerned.”
Numerous studies have linked daylight saving time transitions to negative health effects, including sleep disturbances, increased stress, and a higher risk of heart attacks in the days following the clock shift. In addition, some experts argue that energy savings from DST are minimal and do not justify the inconvenience.
Public sentiment in Poland strongly favors ending the practice. Polls indicate broad support, with an IBRiS survey conducted for Rzeczpospolita in October 2024 showing that 70% of Poles favor eliminating daylight saving time. A 2018 study published by Politico put support even higher, at 95%.
EU-Wide Coordination Needed
Despite growing support, the EU has struggled to finalize a decision. In 2019, discussions stalled when member states failed to agree on whether to permanently adopt standard time or daylight saving time. The European Commission has since left the decision to individual countries, a stance reaffirmed by Itkonen.
“The commission has decided that it would be best if countries decided among themselves,” she said on Thursday, adding that Poland has a key role in coordinating the discussion.
Following talks with Commissioner Tzitzikostas, Dzieciniak indicated that new proposals were introduced but did not provide specifics. “New ideas have appeared on the table and received approval from the commissioner,” she said, adding that more details would be shared soon.
As Poland leads renewed efforts to eliminate DST, the challenge remains to unite EU member states behind a single, definitive policy. Whether Warsaw’s push will succeed depends on its ability to negotiate compromises among nations with varying preferences on time arrangements.
Background: A Longstanding Debate
Daylight saving time was introduced in Europe during World War I to conserve energy, with many countries later adopting it permanently. The EU standardized time changes in 1996, requiring all member states to adjust clocks on the last Sunday of March and October.
However, growing concerns over the effectiveness of DST and its impact on health and the economy have fueled calls for its abolition. While Poland’s latest push has received fresh momentum, the fate of daylight saving time in the EU remains uncertain as discussions continue.
