Why clock changes are controversial in France

The winter clock change to save daylight hours will take place this weekend (clocks move back an hour at 03:00 on Sunday, October 29) however the change is a controversial topic.

An online consultation organised by the French parliament in 2019 received more than two million responses, 83.74% of which were in favour of ending the clock changes.

In the same study, 60% of participants said they had had a “negative or very negative experience” as a result of the changes.

Negative impacts on people often involve problems with sleeping and eating, according to a survey conducted by OpinionWay for ComprendreChoisir (now known as Ooreka) in 2015.

When did clock changes begin?

Clock changes were first introduced in 1916, before being abandoned in 1944. They were then reintroduced by the European Union in September 1975.

The goal was to help save energy by providing more daylight hours.

In 2018, the European Commission again proposed reversing the changes, but when the planned date came around in 2019, the European Parliament voted to defer until 2021.

However, as a result of Brexit and Covid, the question over the clock changes is yet to be answered in Europe.

One of the main difficulties is getting all the countries to harmonise time zones.

To do so, groups have put forward ideas to overcome issues.

The Barcelona Time Use Initiative for a Healthy Society suggests Europe is split into four time zones based primarily on the current winter time.

These time zones would be “geographically correct” which would guarantee every country had the sun at its highest point at noon.

Many other countries outside of the EU have made the decision to abandon the seasonal clock changes, including Turkey, Armenia, and Egypt.

Read also: Why does France still change the clocks despite EU vote against it

Differing views on topic

The initial aim was to reduce energy consumption, however these savings are “modest” according to l’Agence de l’environnement de la maîtrise de l'énergie (Environmental Agency for energy management, or Ademe).

Meanwhile, another study by clean energy expert, Professor Aoife Foley, shows that the winter clock change would allow each household to save £400 (around €460) by making the day longer than the evening which would reduce the demand for energy during rush hour.

The issue raises strong opinions: there is even an association against the change of hour, which was founded in 1976, a year after the reintroduction of the clock change.

It released findings suggesting that between April and October that year there were 661 extra road deaths than the previous year when there was no time change.

This year before the clock changed in March, a road safety organisation reminded the public of the importance of being visible while in the street, by wearing reflective clothing.

L’Observatoire national interministériel de la sécurité routière (national interministerial observatory of road security), reviewing figures from the years 2015 – 2019, said that in the periods after the winter clock change the number of accidents involving pedestrians rose around 42%.

Currently the earliest the clock changes could be abolished is 2025 as the motion needs to be reintroduced to the agenda. This would be followed by a one-two year period following any decision to allow companies such as airlines to adapt schedules accordingly.

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