As the last Sunday in October approaches, millions of European citizens are getting ready for the twice-annual ritual of re-setting their clocks as dictated by the begrudgingly accepted regime known as daylight saving time, or DST.

On Sunday, October 26, clocks will again "fall back" one hour, ending Central European Summer Time (CEST), after having "sprung forward" an hour in March.

What is daylight saving time (DST) and why is it used?

Around 35% of countries currently adhere to the daylight saving time system, which was first instituted on a national level in 1916 in the German and the Austro-Hungarian Empires.

DST saw broad international implementation in the 1970s as a means of saving energy after the oil crisis.

Under the current system, Europe moves from Central European Time (CET) to Central European Summer Time (CEST).

In the UK, where clocks are one hour behind, they move from Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) to British Summer Time (BST).

The practice has been divisive, with proponents appreciating the "extra hour" won, while opponents argue against the potential disruption to sleep schedules.

Research suggests that the practice has a negative impact on the economy as well as people's health.

Spain's Sanchez takes to social media to make the case, reviving debate

One of the main proponents of permanently abandoning the concept of daylight saving time is Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who has vowed that Spain will seek to end DST for good in 2026.

On Monday, Sanchez made the case in a social media video post.

In it, he said: "Changing the time twice a year no longer makes sense. It barely helps save energy and has a negative effect on people's health and lives."

Noting lack of popular support for DST, Sanchez said, "Frankly, I no longer see any reason for this."

Sanchez's video appeared at about the same time Spain's energy ministers were joined in support for DST abolishment by colleagues from Finland and Poland.

European Commission was here on DST in 2018

The European Commission, the bloc's executive, has wanted to ditch the practice since 2018, when a survey it conducted showed that 85% of Europeans were against it.

Then EU Commission President Jean-Claude Junker pledged to do away with DST at the time, but, as is so often the case in Europe, there is a lack of unanimity regarding whether to keep or kill DST, so, it remains.

The main sticking point to date has largely been whether clocks would be permanently set to summer or winter time.

Laws proposed by the Commission must be unanimously passed by the EU parliament and member states. 

In Strasbourg on Thursday, EU Transport Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas chimed in during a debate to say, "The Commission has decided to undertake further analysis through a detailed study that we are working on right now, to support future decision making on this issue."      

"My goal," said Tzitzikostas, "is to move forward. The time has come to finally stop the seasonal changes of time every year," adding that the current system, "affects us all, frustrates most, and even, I would say, harms people."

Tzitzikostas promised that the Commission would remain focused on finally ending the ongoing deadlock — though he did not give a timeline for doing so.

Edited by: Saim Dusan Inayatullah