Adverse effects of the changing of the clocks on the health in the EU

14.11.2013

Question for written answer E-012963-13
to the Commission
Rule 117
Jarosław Leszek Wałęsa (PPE)

For many years now, a debate has been raging on the economic and health effects of changing the clocks from winter to summer time. The current Directive 2000/84/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 January 2001 on summer-time arrangements provides for two changes of the clocks per year — once in March and once in October.

Nowadays it seems that changing the clocks no longer brings any benefits or losses, i.e. the benefits and the losses cancel each other out. Another effect is also important, though, and that is the impact on health, which is often forgotten. According to scientific studies, the risk of heart attack is increased by 10%; the number of people complaining of heart pains grows by 60%; and the number of patients being treated by paediatricians grows by 160%. The number of road accidents and accidents in the workplace also increases. There are claims that some depression may be linked to the changing of the clocks. One of the few health benefits is an increase in the amount of time that children spend outside in the fresh air — a claim which falls somewhat short of being convincing in this age of television and the Internet.

 

Does the Commission plan to carry out an impact assessment on the introduction of summer time?

Is the Commission taking the health consequences for people in the EU into consideration?

OJ C 228, 17/07/2014