Ukrainian summer time abolished: a step towards independence!

Ukrainian summer time abolished: a step towards independence!

Ukraine - On March 28, 2025, Ukraine took a decisive step in its time design. The government has decided to abolish the summer time that has agreed with the Moscow time since 2011, and will keep the Central European period (CET) permanently in the future. This decision was made for health and security reasons and is intended to strengthen the security situation in an area occupied by Russia. Almost a fifth of the Ukrainian state area is still under the control of Russia, which also contextualizes this measure. The abolition of summer time is seen as a clear sign of independence from Russia. were perceived negatively. This includes concerns about the deterioration of chronic diseases and reducing work ability.

Currently still in Ukraine, summer time from last Sunday in March to last Sunday in October. In 2024, March 30 will be converted to summer time, but from 2025 this will be a thing of the past. The German news agency T-Online also emphasizes that this decision also has a uniform time framework in Ukraine to create that should contribute to reintegration policy in occupied areas.

Health aspects of the time change

The health aspects of the time change were not only discussed in Ukraine. Scientists have been warning of the negative effects of watch changes on people's internal clock for years. An hour of time change is regarded as a significant disruptive factor for health, well-being and performance, such as the MDR . A project called Circadia has set itself the goal of promoting a chronobiologically informed society because people's inner watches react strongly to daylight.

The discussion about the time change in the EU goes back to 2019 when the EU Parliament voted for abolition from 2021. To date, however, not all 27 Member States have agreed on whether the summer time or normal time should be retained, which further complications the situation. Many EU countries are currently concentrating on other urgent topics, which takes a back seat to the decision to change the time. The uncertainty about the time change has a major impact on different areas, including economy and traffic.