Daylight saving time, hands forward between Saturday and Sunday. The process to make it permanent begins

Countdown to the arrival of Daylight Saving Time (DST), which will start between Saturday 28 March and Sunday 29 March. It may be the last time: the parliamentary process for the possible permanent introduction of Daylight Saving Time in Italy has begun in the Chamber of Deputies. The Committee on Productive Activities has approved the start of the cognitive enquiry "on the impact of permanent summer time on the national territory: effects and repercussions on sectors", presented last November at the instigation of the Italian Society of Environmental Medicine (Sima), Non-profit consumerism and the deputy Andrea Barabotti (Lega). At the end of June, it could also be decided to start an initial experimental phase.

The debate originates from the public consultation launched by the European Commission in 2018, in which 4.6 million European citizens participated: 84% were in favour of abolishing the time change. In 2019, the European Parliament approved a proposal for a directive to give individual states the freedom to choose between summer or permanent solar time; however the process stalled due to the pandemic and divergences between member states, leaving the issue hanging. In the document that kicks off the fact-finding investigation, it is emphasised that three studies submitted to the European Parliament agree that the abolition of time shifting and the application of a single system for the entire year would lead to documented energy savings and a benefit for the European internal market and transport.

The latest official data provided by Terna and referring to Italia attest between 2004 and 2025 "a lower consumption of electricity due to summer time of more than 12 billion kWh", which in economic terms has led to "a saving for citizens of around 2.3 billion euro", while the Italian Society of Environmental Medicine has highlighted how, thanks to summer time, CO2 emissions into the atmosphere "will be reduced by between 160,000 and 200,000 tonnes less per year", equal to that absorbed by planting between 2 and 6 million new trees.

"In light of the evidence gathered," the request to start the consultation process in the Chamber reads, "it seems appropriate to promote a cognitive investigation to objectively assess the impacts of permanent daylight saving time on Italy's energy and production sectors. This study should involve research bodies and economic organisations in order to provide Parliament and the Government with an updated picture of the benefits and critical issues of the measure. The final decision cannot disregard an overall vision that takes into account energy sustainability and economic competitiveness'.

The fact-finding investigation has several objectives and evaluates, among other things, the possibility of an experimental phase with an extension of summer time. The in-depth study will concern a comparison of models involving seasonal time changes or the adoption of permanent daylight saving time, and an assessment of the socio-economic effects, the effects on the country's productive fabric in terms of potential energy savings and increased productivity. This is followed by an analysis of the data and documentation currently available and the assessments provided by the subjects heard by the Commission.