Clocks turned back one hour at 3 a.m. overnight

The Netherlands will switch from the daylight saving time to winter time in the early hours of Sunday. The clocks jumped back one hour at 3 a.m., giving people an extra hour.

Changing the clocks twice a year is controversial. In the 1980s the EU agreed that clocks in all member states would be changed at the same time: on the last weekend of March and the last weekend of October. At the time, the Netherlands had already introduced summer time back in 1977 in order to align with neighboring countries.

Over time, numerous complaints were received from citizens, the European Parliament, and others, concerning issues such as insomnia. The European Commission had therefore organized an online consultation on the subject among Europeans back in 2018. The consultation generated 4.5 million responses. Eighty-four percent of respondents said they would rather see the twice-a-year system change. Only 16 percent wanted it to stay the same. Respondents cited road accidents, health impacts, and doubts about energy savings, among other questions.

In September 2018 a legislative proposal to discontinue the biannual clock changes was put forward. Under the proposal, EU member states would be free to choose whether to apply permanent summer time or permanent winter time. “They would, however, be required to notify the European Commission and the other member states in good time, for example, in order to avoid disruption in the transport sector," the Commission’s spokesperson, Ingelise de Boer, said in a statement.

This legislative proposal can only enter into force if it is approved by the European Parliament and the EU member states, De Boer explained. “The Parliament already gave its approval in 2019. The member states, however, have not yet succeeded in reaching an agreement.” She explained that several countries have indicated that more information “is needed on the legal and practical consequences before a decision can be taken. The European Commission has therefore decided to launch a study that will further elaborate on various possible scenarios,” the spokesperson said, adding that the study is expected by the end of this year.

In 2019, the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) similarly concluded that keeping the winter time throughout the year would be better for public health in the country. It explained that the winter time, also referred to as the standard time, alligns more closely with the body’s natural sleep-wake cycle.