This Sunday, October 27, 2024, Spain’s clocks will go back one hourmarking the beginning of the winter time. At 3:00 a.m. it will be 2:00 a.m., which means we will sleep for 60 more minutes. However, will this be one of the last time changes that we will experience in our country?
Since 1981, Modifying the schedule twice a year is mandatory for the countries of the European Unionwith the main objective of making better use of daylight hours and contributing to energy savings. However, this practice has generated intense debate due to its possible negative effects on people’s health and well-being.
The European Commission’s proposal
In September 2018, the European Commission expressed his concern and raised the possibility of ending this adjustment in the clocks. Initially, 2019 was proposed as the deadline, but it was later postponed to 2021. However, due to the lack of agreement between member states, the intention to end the time change has not yet been made effective.
The calendar of time changes in Spain
According to the article 5 of Royal Decree 236/2002the Official State Gazette (BOE) must publish a calendar that includes the modification of the schedule for the next five years. According to what is specified in the BOE, the dates of the time changes in Spain are the following:
- In 2024: Sunday, October 27, 2024.
- In 2025: Sunday, March 30 and Sunday, October 26.
- In 2026: Sunday, March 29 and Sunday, October 25.
Therefore, based on this calendar, the last time change in Spain is scheduled for October 25, 2026. Of course, this date is not definitive. The final decision will depend on the European Union and the proposal of the European Commission.
The current situation and the future of the time change
In March 2019, The Spanish Government created a commission of experts to discuss the time change. The conclusion was that it was not advisable to make a decision on this matter, given that there is no “shared consensus” between EU member countries.
While awaiting a final resolution from the European Union, Spain will continue to set its clocks according to the calendar established by the BOE. Uncertainty over the future of time change persists, and only time will tell if this practice will come to an end in the coming years.
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