Associate Professor at the Department of Business Administration, TalTech School of Business and Governance.
Establishing a single time zone in the European Union would facilitate business operations, reduce complexity in the transport and logistics sector, and promote international relations and cooperation, writes Mike Wahl, Associate Professor at the TalTech Department of Business Administration, in his commentary.
Daylight saving time was first introduced in 1908 in Canada, followed by the German Empire in 1916. Since then, it has been practiced in various regions for different reasons and continues to be used in some places today.
The main argument in favor of changing the clocks is energy savings, as well as the idea that people can enjoy more daylight during their waking hours, including their free time. However, there is a general consensus that clock changes have a negative impact on people’s health and well-being. Currently, around 40% of the world’s countries still observe daylight saving time; it tends to make more sense in countries closer to the poles, but not near the equator.
In 2019, the European Parliament voted by a large majority to end daylight saving time by 2021. However, this has not yet been implemented, as member states have been unable to agree on whether to adopt standard (winter) time or keep daylight saving (summer) time. At present, three different time zones are in use across EU countries, which can lead to various logistical, economic, and cultural challenges.
There is, however, a hypothetical alternative – a single time zone, UTC+1:00, stretching from Lisbon to Narva. A glance at the map shows that most EU member states fall within the bounds of this time zone. The idea of a unified time zone has been raised before, but it has yet to gain widespread support.
Looking at the map, we can see that most European Union member states fall within the boundaries of the UTC+1:00 time zone, stretching from Lisbon to Narva | Photo: Timeanddate.com
What changes could a unified time zone bring across the European Union?
One argument against a single time zone is that Europe’s diverse time zones reflect and enrich its cultural variety – and a unified time zone might threaten that diversity. On the other hand, introducing a single time zone would make business operations easier, reduce complexity in the transport and logistics sectors, and lead to less confusion and fewer delays. It could also enhance international relations and cooperation, simplifying the scheduling of cross-border meetings and negotiations.
A common time zone could also boost labor mobility and tourism, as people would adapt more easily across countries. In turn, this could strengthen the sense of unity and shared identity across the continent.
