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Spain Tables EU Plan to End Seasonal Clock Changes by 2026

The push seeks to restart the stalled 2019 plan to end time shifts across the bloc.

Overview

  • Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said Spain will present its proposal at today’s EU Council meeting in Luxembourg to abolish the twice‑yearly clock change starting in 2026.
  • Spanish officials cite strong public opposition, minimal energy savings and short‑term health and safety risks linked to the time shifts.
  • The European Commission’s 2018 proposal and the Parliament’s 2019 vote to scrap seasonal changes never took effect after the pandemic and lack of agreement among member states.
  • Regardless of the new bid, EU countries still switch to winter time on the night of October 25–26, 2025, with France moving clocks from 3:00 a.m. back to 2:00 a.m.
  • The system, introduced after the 1973 oil shock and harmonized EU‑wide in 1998, continues for now, with most French overseas territories excluded except Saint‑Pierre‑et‑Miquelon.