The Irish government will oppose an EU proposal that would end seasonal clock changes because it could result in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland being in different time zones.
Irish Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan was seeking the approval of his ministerial colleagues to oppose the proposal and to lobby other EU states on the issue.
A qualified majority – 55% of member states representing at least 65% of the EU’s population – is needed for the plan to be implemented.
The Irish government believes it cannot agree to any move that could result in different time zones on the island of Ireland, irrespective of Brexit.
It also fears that the proposed change could lead to a “patchwork” of time zones across the EU at a time when there is a lot of EU talk about the integrity of the single market.
The European Commission last year announced it was planning a directive to come into effect in 2021.
It would abolish the twice-yearly changes, making member states decide which time zone they wanted to remain in permanently.
Via BBC / Independent.ie /Irish Times
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