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The changeover to summer time is imminent - and with it the discussion about how useful it is to abolish winter time, which is also known as normal time.

And this despite the fact that the European Parliament had spoken out in favor of abolishing the time change or leaving the decision on it to the states themselves.

According to the EU Commission's plan, each country should decide in which time zone it would like to stay.

Only when it could be so far is still unclear.

The then EU Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker proposed the 2018 plan, which should originally take effect in 2019.

Then a large majority in the EU Parliament was in favor of abolishing the time change from 2021.

Will the clock change be abolished?

In the meantime, however, the topic has been postponed indefinitely.

One reason for this is the corona pandemic, the containment of which has come to the fore in EU politics.

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On the other hand, a majority of the EU countries must first approve the plan, but that is not yet in sight.

The member states would have to coordinate with each other in order to prevent a patchwork of different time zones from being created.

The concerns apply above all to international train and air timetables.

This makes it difficult to get rid of something for which there is actually no longer any justification at all.

Because the time change was introduced so that people use less electricity and energy, so that they can use daylight longer.

It has long been known that the bottom line is that no energy is saved because less electricity is used, but people heat more in the early hours of the morning in autumn and spring.

Time change: When is the changeover to daylight saving time?

The watches are also in this year on the night of 27 to

be presented on March 28 from 2:00 to 3:00

.

The time change is particularly controversial in Germany compared to other EU countries.

Three million of the 4.6 million votes that were in favor of abolition via an online survey in the summer of 2018 and thus initiated the debate came from Germany.

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Various Forsa surveys on behalf of the DAK health insurance company show that mini jet lag is a problem for many Germans.

Among other things, a clear majority feel tired or weak after the time change, almost 60 percent have problems falling or staying asleep.

More employees report sick on the Monday after the time changeover than on comparable working days.

Most recently, 76 percent of Germans spoke out in favor of abolishing the time change.

The share of supporters is only 21 percent.

Experts warn of "eternal summer time"

The German Society for Sleep Research and Sleep Medicine is in favor of maintaining normal time.

Daylight, and in particular the blue component of sunlight, is the "main timer" for the human internal clock and is decisive for the wake-sleep rhythm.

According to the experts, all of this is best guaranteed by the winter time.

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By switching to summer time, however, there is a risk of a lack of sleep, which leads to a loss of concentration and performance as well as more accidents.

The German Teachers' Association also fears health risks for pupils in the event of a permanent switch to summer time.

When will winter time be set again?

The winter time adjustment seems to be a foregone conclusion in the EU and is expected to

take place

on

October 31, 2021

.

Going it alone by individual EU countries would result in a patchwork of time.

And nobody wants that.