‘End it’: Finland urges EU to stop daylight savings time

The government of Finland should tell Brussels it wants an end to the EU diktat on daylight savings time, a Finnish parliamentary committee has said.

The parliamentary transport and communications committee gave its recommendation to the government after more than 70,000 Finns signed a citizens petition asking the state to give up the practice.

Under daylight saving time clocks move forward by one hour during summer months so that daylight lasts longer into evening.

Most of North America and Europe implements the time shift every six months, while the majority of countries elsewhere do not.

The committee said that after hearing several experts, it concluded that people do not adapt smoothly to the changes.

It added turning the clocks caused short-term sleeping disorders, reduced performance at work and could also lead to serious health problems.

The committee said in a statement: “The primary objective should be to abolish the clock movements on uniform basis throughout the European Union.”

Within the EU, clocks always go forward on the last Sunday in March, and back on the last Sunday in October.

Debate over the practice has raged for years, with some arguing it helps us to save electricity, but this has not been confirmed by independent studies.

Proponents of daylight savings time say it means longer evenings during the summer, but others say it causes unnecessary disruption.

Those prone to sleeping difficulties are known to struggle to adjust when the clocks change.

In Britain the clocks will go back at 2am on Sunday October 29.