The European Commission has left the decision on whether to abolish daylight saving time up to the member states

The European Commission has confirmed that the final decision on whether to abolish the seasonal change of clocks to daylight saving time or standard time remains the exclusive competence of EU member states. 

On March 26, 2026, European Commission spokesperson Ana-Kaisa Itkonen noted that a proposal to this effect was submitted back in 2018, but member states have yet to reach an agreement, according to the European Parliament. For now, countries must decide for themselves which time—summer or winter—they wish to maintain on a permanent basis to ensure coordination within the single market.

This coming weekend, EU countries and Ukraine will traditionally switch to daylight saving time. The European Commission continues to provide technical support to member states in this process and is preparing a special study on the impact of the clock change, the results of which are expected by the end of the year. Itkonen emphasized that the institution is ready to facilitate a coordinated decision, but the ball is in the member states’ court, from whom a common position is expected. These clarifications came amid discussions on energy security and efforts to harmonize the EU’s internal market in complex geopolitical conditions.

In 2026, the clock change in Ukraine will take place on March 29 at 3:00 a.m. The clocks will be set forward one hour—after 2:59 a.m., it will immediately be 4:00 a.m., with the third hour skipped. For the public, this means one hour less sleep, but sunset will be delayed by one hour.