Austria will be turning back their clocks an hour at 2:00 a.m. on Sunday as the Central European Summer Time (CEST) comes to an end. This time of year marks the annual time change across the European Union. All radio-controlled clocks will automatically jump back to 3:00 a.m., but other clocks will need to be turned back by hand. The next change to standard time (CET) will take place on the last weekend of October.
The abolition of the annual time change across the EU is still under discussion, with the decision currently on hold in Brussels. The EU Council of Ministers is responsible for making the final decision on this proposal, and the transport ministers are among those responsible for the implementation.
Despite the proposal to abolish the annual time change still being debated, the Austrian government’s Council of Ministers made a formal decision in February to extend the summer time change until 2026. This decision was made as a precautionary measure since the future of the time change is still uncertain.
In March 2019, the European Parliament voted in favor of abolishing summer time by 2021, with the possibility to delay the implementation by a year if any difficulties arise for the internal market. However, the majority of member states still have yet to agree on this proposal, making it impossible to put into effect.
The annual time change has been a topic of debate for years, with many people arguing that it disrupts sleep patterns and can negatively impact health. Some studies suggest that there is a higher risk of heart attacks and traffic accidents in the days immediately following the time change.
Austria, like many other countries in the EU, has a complicated relationship with the time change. While some people argue that it is necessary to keep the same time as other European countries, others believe that the annual time change causes unnecessary stress and should be abolished.
With the decision on hold, the future of the annual time change in Austria and the rest of the EU remains uncertain. However, for now, Austrians will be turning their clocks back an hour this weekend as they adjust to the end of daylight saving time.