Between imaginary jet lag and confused awakenings, over 350 thousand Italians are asking to abolish the time change. The petition from Sima and Consumerismo reaches the Chamber: now it is up to Parliament to decide whether to say goodbye to solar time.
Waking up and no longer knowing what time it is. It’s not about jet lag, it’s about the change of time which traumatizes many Italians twice a year. They are coming though over 350 thousand signatures to say goodbye to the movement of the hand, or rather, tosolar time. A petition that can become law.
There Sima, Italian Society of Environmental Medicine, And Non-Profit Consumerism they launched a signature collection campaign that exceeded 350 thousand members. The signatures were officially delivered on November 17th to Chamber of Deputiesaccompanied by the request to start acognitive investigation at the Productive Activities Commission.
Alongside the associations, the deputy of the League Andrea Barabotti who supported the initiative, formally presenting it in Parliament.
The parliamentary path
The fact-finding investigation at the Chamber press room represents only the first step of a complex process. If approved, the investigation phase includes an assessment of the effects of thepermanent daylight saving time on energy consumption, environmental impact, public health, road safety and social habits.
The works must be completed by June 30, 2026 with the presentation of a regulatory proposal, and only subsequently can one be formulated law that definitively abolishes the change of time.
The European context
The issue has already occupied the European agenda in the past: in 2018 a public consultation of the European Commission had involved 4.6 million participantswith the84% in favor to the abolition of the time change. And in 2019 the European Parliament approved a directive that left the Member States the ability to independently choose whether to maintain solar or summer time permanently.
However, the process stalled due to pandemic and of disagreementswith the doubts of some states, in particular those of the North, due to their natural light conditions, which are very different from those of the Mediterranean regions.
The history of the time in Italy
Italy first embraced the time change in 1916in full world conflictfor military needs: optimize the use of natural light, contain energy waste and ensure greater efficiency in production activities during the first global conflict.
Subsequently, phases of application and suspension alternated, creating uncertainty and discontinuity. Only in 1966 a stabilization was achieved: the Law n.1144 definitively sanctioned the adoption of summer time, establishing that normal time was moved forward by sixty minutes valid for all legal and practical purposes.
Advantages of permanent daylight saving time
Second Sima And Consumerismthe adoption ofdaylight saving time all year round will bring benefits for various sectors, starting from the energy front with a saving of approximately 720 million kWh per yearequivalent to 180 million euros and the energy needs of 266 thousand families.
Retail, tourism and catering will also benefit from the extension of evening light hours: the more people out after work, the more acquisitionsmore consumption.
From an environmental point of view, the reduction in energy consumption will lead to a decrease in CO₂ emissionscontributing to sustainability objectives.
Then there is the biological and psychological factor: eliminating the six-monthly change of time will avoid the alteration of circadian rhythmswith benefits for blood circulation and sleep quality.
The critical issues for the northern regions
However, there is no shortage of doubts and criticisms. In winter, with daylight saving time all year round, the mornings will be darkercreating difficulties for those who start the day early, such as workers and students.
Despite the potential benefits, the permanent alteration of the natural day-night cycle can create problems in quality of sleep for people more sensitive to biological rhythms.
The verdict will come within June 2026when Parliament will be called upon to decide whether to definitively say goodbye to the time change.
Until then, many Italians will remain in that same initial sensation: waking up and not realizing the time has been movedwaiting to understand if this six-monthly ritual will become a memory.
