ZAGREB, March 29, 2019 - Daylight saving time (DST) starts on Sunday 31 March at 2 a.m., when clocks will be turned forward one hour to 3 a.m.

The Croatian Automobile Club is reminding drivers in Croatia that they need not keep their headlights on during daytime, except in conditions of reduced visibility.

European Summer Time begins (clocks go forward) at 01:00 UTC on the last Sunday in March, and ends (clocks go back) at 01:00 UTC on the last Sunday in October.

On 26 March, the European Parliament voted to scrap the twice-a-year custom of changing the clocks by an hour in spring and autumn by 2021, leaving only national governments to now give their assent.

"EU countries that decide to keep their summer time should make their final clock change on the last Sunday in March 2021. Those that prefer to keep their standard (winter) time, can adjust their clocks for the final time on the last Sunday in October 2021, says the draft law approved by MEPs with 410 in favour,192 against, 51 abstentions," according to information on the EP website.

Thus, MEPs backed the European Commission proposal to end seasonal time changes, but voted to postpone the date from 2019 to 2021.

In Croatia, just as in other EU member-states, there are still debates as to whether to keep the standard (winter) time or to have summer daylight saving time as of 2021.

Nearly 90 percent of Croatian companies want an end to the practice of changing the clocks in spring and autumn, with 60 percent in favour of staying on summer time all year round, shows a survey conducted by the Croatian Chamber of Commerce (HGK) in September 2018.

Asked about their experience with clock-changing, of 567 companies polled, as many as 84 percent said their experience was negative or very negative.

Nearly 90 percent of respondents proposed ending the seasonal clock changes, citing people's health, energy saving and the functioning of the international market. Sixty percent were in favour of summer time throughout the year, while 32 percent preferred winter time.

When announcing an end to the practice of twice-yearly changing of the clocks, the European Commission has said that member-states would be given the freedom to decide whether to adopt permanent summer time or winter time.

Daylight saving time (DST) - the so-called summer time - has been compulsory in the EU since 2001, aimed at making the EU internal market work more smoothly and reducing energy costs.

Responding to citizens’ initiatives, in February 2018, the EP called on the Commission to assess the summer time arrangements directive and, if necessary, present a proposal for the directive to be revised.

The HGK said that the results of its survey largely corresponded with those of the European Commission. The EC survey covered 4.6 million EU residents and found that as many as 84 percent wanted the practice of clock-changing abolished because of negative effects on human health, an increase in traffic accidents and insufficient energy saving.

During the winter, spring and autumn, when DST is not applied, there are three standard time zones across the EU. Thus, 17 countries are in the Central European Time (CET) zone, which is GMT+1 and which in the summer becomes Central European Summer Time (CEST). Eight European countries have Eastern European Time, which is GMT+2 and three states apply GMT (the UK, Ireland and Portugal).

More news about European Union can be found in the Politics section.

Most Croatians prefer to have later sunsets in the summer and later sunrises in the winter months.

ZAGREB, September 13, 2018 - Nearly 90 percent of Croatian companies want an end to the practice of changing the clocks in spring and autumn, with 60 percent in favour of staying on summertime all year round, a survey conducted by the Croatian Chamber of Commerce (HGK) shows.