EU proposals

Mon Jul 31 21:34:17 UTC 2000

I came across this in CELEX:

http://europa.eu.int/cgi-bin/eur-lex/udl.pl?REQUEST=Seek-Deliver&LANGUAGE=en&SERVICE=eurlex&FORMAT=pdf&COLLECTION=com&DOCID=500PC0303(01)

(a 25 page PDF review of summer time).

The proposed directive, providing for the present arrangements to continue
indefinitely from 2002, is as follows:

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                 /* COM/2000/0302 final - COD 2000/0140 */
   Proposal for a DIRECTIVE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL
   on summer-time arrangements

   (Text with EEA relevance)

   THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

   Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and
   in particular Article 95 thereof,

   Having regard to the proposal from the Commission [42],

   [42] OJ C

   Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee
   [43],

   [43] OJ C

   Acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 251 of
   the Treaty,

   Whereas:

   (1)

   Eighth Directive 97/44/EC of the European Parliament and of the
   Council of 22 July 1997 on summer-time arrangements [44] introduced a 
   common date and time in all Member States, for the beginning and end
   of summer-time in 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2001.

   [44] OJ L 206, 1.8.1997, p. 62.

   (2)

   Given that the Member States apply summer-time arrangements, it is   
   important for the functioning of the internal market that a common
   date and time for the beginning and end of the summer-time period be
   fixed throughout the Community.
   (3)

   The summer-time period considered most appropriate by the Member  
   States runs from the end of March to the end of October; that period
   should therefore be maintained.
   (4)

   The proper functioning of certain sectors, not only transport and
   communications, but also other sectors of industry, requires stable,
   long-term planning. Provisions concerning summer-time
   should therefore be laid down for an unlimited period. Article 4 of
   Directive 97/44/EC provides, in that respect, that the European
   Parliament and the Council are to adopt, by 1 January 2001, the
   arrangements to apply from 2002 onwards.

   (5)

   For reasons of clarity and accuracy of information, a timetable for
   the implementation of the summer-time period for the following five
   years should be drawn up and published every five years.
   (6)

   Implementation of this Directive should, moreover, be monitored by
   means of a report on the impact of the provisions of this Directive in
   all of the areas concerned submitted to the European Council and the
   Economic and Social Committee by the Commission. That report should be
   based on the information made available to the Commission by the
   Member States in sufficient time to enable the report to be presented
   at the specified time.
   (7)

   In accordance with the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality
   as set out in Article 5 of the Treaty, the complete harmonisation of
   the timetable for the summer-time period with a view to facilitating 
   transport and communications cannot be sufficiently achieved by the
   Member States and can therefore be better achieved by the Community.
   This Directive confines itself to the minimum required in order to
   achieve those objectives and does not go beyond what is necessary for
   that purpose.
   (8)

   For geographical reasons, the common summer-time arrangements should
   not apply to the overseas territories of the Member States,

   HAVE ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE:

                                 Article 1

   For the purposes of this Directive "summer-time period" shall mean the
   period of the year during which clocks are put forward by 60 minutes
   compared with the rest of the year.

                                 Article 2

   From 2002 onwards, the summer-time period shall begin, in every Member
   State, at 1.00 a.m., Greenwich Mean Time, on the last Sunday in March.

                                 Article 3

   From 2002 onwards, the summer-time period shall end in every Member
   State at 1.00 a.m., Greenwich Mean Time, on the last Sunday in 
   October.

                                 Article 4

   The Commission shall publish a communication in the Official Journal
   of the European Communities, for the first time on the occasion of the
   publication of this Directive, and every five years thereafter,
   containing the timetable showing the dates on which the summer-time
   period will begin and end for the following five years.

                                 Article 5

   The Commission shall report to the European Parliament, the Council   
   and the Economic and Social Committee on the impact of the provisions
   of this Directive on the sectors concerned by 31 December 2007 at the
   latest. That report shall be drawn up on the basis of the information
   made available to the Commission by each Member State by 30 April 2007
   at the latest.

                                 Article 6

   This Directive shall not apply to the overseas territories of the
   Member States.

                                 Article 7

   Member States shall bring into force the laws, regulations and
   administrative provisions necessary to comply with this Directive by
   31 December 2001 at the latest. They shall forthwith inform the
   Commission thereof.

   When the Member States adopt those provisions, they shall contain a   
   reference to this Directive or be accompanied by such a reference on  
   the occasion of their official publication. Member States shall
   determine how such reference is to be made.

                                 Article 8

   This Directive shall enter into force on the twentieth day following
   that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European
   Communities.

                                 Article 9

   This Directive is addressed to the Member States.

   Done at Brussels,

   For the European Parliament For the Council

   The President The President
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   Communication [45] from the Commission pursuant to Article 4 of
   Directive ... of the European Parliament and of the Council on
   summer-time arrangements [46]

   [45] To be published separately in the OJ following adoption of the
   Directive.

   [46] OJ

   Timetable for the summer-time period

   For 2002-2006 inclusive, the summer-time periods will begin and end
   respectively on the following dates at 1.00 a.m. Greenwich Mean Time:

   - in 2002: the Sundays of 31 March and 27 October;

   - in 2003: the Sundays of 30 March and 26 October;

   - in 2004: the Sundays of 28 March and 31 October;

   - in 2005: the Sundays of 27 March and 30 October;

   - in 2006: the Sundays of 26 March and 29 October.

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-- 
Joseph S. Myers
jsm28 at cam.ac.uk