A student of the University of Ghent in Belgium, Glenn Segers, turned to the EU´s member countries for his research paper and asked whether European countries support stopping changing the clocks, and if they had to choose, would they prefer staying on summer or winter time.

This week, Adviser to the Department of European Union and International Cooperation of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications Yana Laurand answered the student, on behalf of Estonia. Laurand wrote that Estonia wants to stop the seasonal clock changing in the EU, but only when the member countries agree on a mutual approach.

"Several member countries haven´t formed a clear position and because of that, the process in the EU has slowed down. However, Estonia has been actively working together with other member countries on the topic. The Baltic countries will most likely remain in the same time zone (probably permanent summer time), because we have a common land border," Laurand wrote.

Laurand added that in the region, the main question is about Finland, which has to choose whether to change their time zone and stay in the same time zone as Sweden (permanent summer time in Sweden is the same as permanent winter time in Finland) or to stay with permanent summer time with the Baltic countries.

"Both options are reasonable for Finland, but both have their cons. We have to consider that Finland stretches far to the north, and complete summer time wouldn´t be the best in that region, as it is for Baltic countries."

Laurand said that in order to continue with the subject, first, there needs to be a breakthrough in Brussels, but the subject isn´t a priority at the moment.

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