Lithuania eyes June 2027 EU vote to end seasonal clock changes

Lithuania expects an EU vote on ending seasonal clock changes in late June 2027, during its presidency of the Council of the European Union, public broadcaster LRT reported Monday.

Deputy Transport Minister Lukas Paskevicius said the issue would first be discussed at an informal meeting of EU transport ministers in February.

“In February 2027, we will discuss this issue at an informal meeting of EU transport ministers, and toward the end of Lithuania's presidency, in late June, a vote will be held. We will see what the decision will be,” he said.

Lithuania will hold the council’s rotating presidency during the first half of 2027. Ending twice-yearly clock changes has been included in its proposed presidency agenda, pending final approval by parliament.

Paskevicius said Lithuania had discussed the initiative with ministers from France, Spain, Germany and the Nordic countries, as well as members of the European Parliament.

The EU is awaiting a European Commission study, expected in February 2027, assessing the potential effects of ending seasonal time changes on the economy, agriculture, public health and other sectors.

Member states remain divided over whether to adopt summer or winter time permanently, according to the deputy minister.

Southern European countries tend to favor summer time for its brighter evenings, while Nordic countries have concerns over darker winter mornings, he said.

“Our goal is to abandon seasonal time changes altogether, regardless of whether summer or winter time is chosen. Surveys show that most Lithuanian residents prefer remaining on summer time,” Paskevicius said.

The commission proposed ending seasonal clock changes in 2018, and the European Parliament backed the proposal in 2019. Progress subsequently stalled amid disagreement among member states.