Clocks Go Back an Hour Across Europe as EU Plan to Scrap Time Changes Stays Stuck Seven Years After Key Vote

AMSTERDAM — People across the Netherlands and the rest of the European Union got an extra hour of sleep overnight as clocks fell back one hour, ending daylight saving time for the year.

In the Netherlands, clocks went back from 3 a.m. to 2 a.m. early Sunday, marking the switch to winter time, also known as standard time. Sunrise and sunset now come an hour earlier on the clock, giving brighter mornings but darker evenings as winter approaches.

The change took place at the same moment across EU countries, which coordinate their clock changes. It comes even though the bloc voted years ago to end the twice-yearly ritual.

Why Europe changes its clocks

The Netherlands adopted summer time in 1977 to stay in step with neighboring countries, according to the Dutch government. Europe has coordinated clock changes since 1980.

Under EU rules, member states switch to summer time on the last Sunday of March and return to standard time on the last Sunday of October. The next change will come at the end of March 2027, when clocks move forward an hour.

Daylight saving time was originally promoted as a way to save energy by reducing the need for artificial lighting in the evening. Those savings are disputed. Critics argue that modern lighting, heating and air conditioning have largely erased any benefit.

A public push to end the switch

Complaints about sleep problems and other effects led the European Commission to hold an online public consultation in 2018. It drew about 4.6 million responses, one of the largest in EU history.

Of those who responded, 84% wanted to stop changing the clocks twice a year, while 16% wanted to keep the system. Respondents cited effects on health, road accidents and doubts about energy savings.

In September 2018, the Commission proposed ending seasonal clock changes. Under the plan, each country would choose whether to stay permanently on summer time or permanently on standard time.

The European Parliament approved the proposal in March 2019 by 410 votes to 192 and set 2021 as the target date for ending the changes.

Stalled among member states

More than seven years later, the clocks are still changing.

The proposal also needs approval from EU member states in the Council, and governments have been unable to agree. Some prefer permanent summer time, while others favor permanent standard time. Many worry that neighboring countries choosing different options could create a patchwork of time zones across Europe, disrupting trade, travel and transportation.

The COVID-19 pandemic also pushed the issue down the EU's agenda.

The European Commission is now studying the possible effects of ending the clock changes. Commission spokesperson Ingelise de Boer said several countries want more information on the legal and practical consequences. The Commission has ordered a study of possible scenarios, expected by the end of 2026.

De Boer said that any country choosing a permanent time would have to notify the Commission and other member states "in good time."

In a written response in January, Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas said the Commission was preparing an assessment and that no member state had formally notified it of a preferred permanent time.

Spain leads new push

The debate gained new momentum last year when Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez urged the EU to end clock changes starting in 2026. He argued at a meeting of European ministers in October 2025 that the system barely saves energy and harms people's health and daily lives.

Finland and Poland have backed the initiative, and the Commission included the issue in its 2026 work program. Even if governments reach a quick agreement, any change is unlikely to take effect before 2027 or 2028.

Health experts favor winter time

In the Netherlands, the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, known as RIVM, concluded in a 2019 review that keeping standard time year-round would be better for public health.

RIVM said standard time fits more closely with the body's natural sleep-wake cycle because daylight arrives earlier in the morning. Morning light helps set the body's internal clock.

The institute found that clock changes are linked to poorer sleep immediately after the switch, especially in spring, when people lose an hour. It said research had found more heart attacks in the days right after the spring change. RIVM also concluded that permanent summer time would be less healthy than permanent standard time.

The institute noted that most of the studies it reviewed were carried out in other countries, not in the Netherlands itself.

Adjusting to the change

Health experts generally advise people to ease into the new schedule by keeping regular bedtimes, getting outside in morning daylight and limiting screen time before bed.

Most smartphones and computers update automatically, but older clocks, ovens and car dashboards may need to be reset by hand.

The darker evenings also bring safety concerns. Road safety groups in Europe often warn drivers to watch for pedestrians and cyclists in the early evening, when more people are traveling in low light after work and school.

Out of sync with the US for a week

The change briefly alters time differences between Europe and North America. The United States and Canada do not return to standard time until Nov. 1, the first Sunday in November. For one week, the gap between Amsterdam and New York shrinks from six hours to five, and between London and New York from five hours to four.

Travelers, businesses and anyone scheduling international calls should double-check meeting times this week.

For now, Europeans will keep changing their clocks twice a year until the EU's member states can agree on a single path forward.