EU – Baltic States, Transport

International Internet Magazine. Baltic States news & analytics Friday, 29.03.2024, 02:57

Baltic states, Finland undecided on changing of clocks at meeting in Tallinn

BC, Tallinn, 10.12.2018.Print version
Representatives of the transport ministries of the Baltic states, Finland and Poland, who met in Tallinn on Monday, were of differing opinions when it comes to whether the countries should stay in summer or winter time once the practice of adjusting the clocks twice a year ends, reported LETA/BNS.

Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland and Poland jointly acknowledged that the agreement on ending the practice of adjusting the clocks in the European Union requires a lot more cooperation, while there is not a sufficient enough majority among the member states of the EU at present to quickly abandon the practice, spokespeople for the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications said after the meeting on Monday.


Ministry spokespeople added that the aim of the meeting on Monday was not to agree on what time should be in effect from Helsinki to Warsaw.


The European Union has resolved to end the practice of adjusting the clocks every spring and fall but has left it to the member states themselves to decide whether they wish to continue using the current summer or winter time. Estonia's decision is made difficult by the fact that Finland, the country's northern neighbor, favors winter time, while Estonia's Baltic neighbors Latvia and Lithuania prefer to stick to summer time, although all four are located geographically in the same timezone.


The practice of adjusting the clocks twice a year is to continue until spring 2021 as countries of the European Union will not be able to reach an agreement on the details of it before that date, Estonian Prime Minister Juri Ratas has previously said.


The transport minister of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania traditionally meet once a year, while this time, Finland and Poland were also involved. The Estonian delegation was led by Minister of Economic Affairs and Communications Kadri Simson, the Latvian delegation by secretary general of the Latvian Ministry of Transport Kaspars Ozolins, Lithuania was represented by Minister of Transport and Communications Rokas Masiulis, Poland was represented by Minister of Infrastructure and Construction Andrzej Adamczyk and the Finnish delegation was led by secretary general of the Ministry of Transport and Communications Sabina Lindstrom.


In addition to the changing of the clocks, the representatives of the five countries also discussed the European Commission initiative for the establishment of a military mobility facility, the road package, Brexit and the electrification of railroads.


Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania also issued Finland an official invitation to join the joint venture established for the construction of the Rail Baltic railway project.







    Search site