©Benjamin Kubitza via Unsplash
Like every year, on the night of Saturday March 28 to Sunday March 29, 2026, the hands of the clocks will move forward by sixty minutes: one hour less sleep, more light in the evening, and the traditional feeling of disorientation during the days that follow. For the first time, this familiar date could be one of the last.
Italy's Chamber of Deputies has approved the launch of a parliamentary inquiry into permanent daylight saving time: a formal but significant step, which officially opens the institutional debate on one of the changes in daily life most keenly felt by the population.
A process that goes back a long way
The discussion is not a new one. In 2018, the European Commission launched a public consultation on the matter, gathering responses from 4.6 million European citizens: 84% of them were in favor of abolishing the double time change. The following year, the European Parliament approved a proposal for a directive giving each member state the freedom to choose between summer time and permanent winter time. Then came the pandemic, differences between member countries became more pronounced and the matter was put to a halt.
Today, the proposal is back on the agenda, this time from Rome. On the initiative of the Italian Society for Environmental Medicine (Sima), Consumerismo No profit and MP Andrea Barabotti (Lega), the Xth Commission of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Rome - the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Rome - has adopted a proposal for the introduction of a European directive on food safety. Productive Activities, Trade and Tourism - last November approved the launch of a parliamentary inquiry into the impact of permanent summer time "on the national territory: effects and repercussions on the various sectors".
Significant figures: 12 billion kWh and 2.3 billion euros in savings
The heart of the debate is, above all, economic and energy-related. The official data provided by Terna are clear: from 2004 to 2025, daylight saving time enabled Italy to reduce its electricity consumption by more than 12 billion kWh, which translates into savings on citizens' bills of around 2.3 billion euros.
These figures are all the more significant when the environmental dimension is taken into account. According to the Italian Society for Environmental Medicine, thanks to summer time, CO₂ emissions fall each year bye by 160,000 to 200,000 tonnes - a benefit equivalent to that which would be achieved by planting between 2 and 6 million new trees.
Furthermore, three studies presented at European level converge on one point: abolishing seasonal switching and adopting a single, year-round system would bring additional benefits, not only in terms of structural energy savings, but also for the internal market and the transport sector.
The parliamentary inquiry
The inquiry approved by the House pursues precise and ambitious objectives. The launch document sets out four areas of work:
- Comparison of models: seasonal time change versus permanent summer time, with an assessment of the socio-economic effects and the impact on the productive fabric in terms of energy savings and productivity gains.
- Analysis of existing data: collection and study of existing documentation, enriched by the assessments of players who will be interviewed by the Commission.
- Experimental phase: concrete evaluation of the possibility of extending summer time on a national scale.
- Overall vision: the final decision, the document stresses, "cannot ignore an overall vision that takes account of energy sustainability and economic competitiveness".
Next stage: hearings
Over the coming months, representatives of institutions, independent authorities, the European Commission and the European Parliament, as well as international organizations, trade associations such as Confindustria, Confcommercio and Confartigianato, consumer associations and academics will be called upon to address the Commission. This wide-ranging, cross-disciplinary consultation will provide Parliament and the government with an up-to-date assessment of the benefits and limitations of the measure.
The survey must be completed by June 30, 2026.
Daylight saving time or winter time? The debate is open
The question at the heart of the debate is not anecdotal at all: if we were to adopt daylight saving time on a permanent basis, winter days would begin with dawn which - in the most northerly regions - would be pushed back well beyond 9am. A far from negligible compromise for those who work or study in the early hours of the day. Conversely, brighter evenings mean less artificial lighting, more time for outdoor activities and - according to some studies - positive effects on physical and mental health, linked to increased exposure to natural light in the afternoon.
The stakes are high, and the debate promises to be lively over the coming weeks. For the time being, on Sunday March 29, the alarm clock will go off an hour earlier.
The 2026 time change will take place on the night of Saturday March 28 to Sunday March 29: at 2 a.m., the hands will move forward to 3 a.m..
(©GreenMe.it 2026/Managing editor: Julie Morgan - The Press Junction/Picture: Benjamin Kubitza via Unsplash)