Today was supposed to Inatsisartut vote for one amendment to Siumut’s proposal about moving the time zone back to UTC-3 and abolishing daylight saving time.
If the politicians had adopted it, from 2028 Greenland would have a five-hour time difference to Denmark and Western Europe in the summer and four hours in the winter – because the EU still uses daylight saving time.
Today was supposed to Inatsisartut vote for one amendment to Siumut’s proposal about moving the time zone back to UTC-3 and abolishing daylight saving time.
If the politicians had adopted it, from 2028 Greenland would have a five-hour time difference to Denmark and Western Europe in the summer and four hours in the winter – because the EU still uses daylight saving time.
Several times during the debates about the determination of time, various politicians have brought up the five-hour time difference.
But before Inatsisartut had the opportunity to make a final decision, the chairman of Inatsisartut, Kim Kielsen (Løsgänger), informed that the Legislative Committee wanted more time to deal with the point, and therefore the decision on Siumut’s proposal was postponed – again.
The party takes note of this, says Erik Jensen (S):
– The most important thing is that Siumut’s bill is implemented during this session, so we go back to UTC-3.
– But because the bill was postponed until the autumn session, there were some time delays which made the process lopsided. That’s why we said otherwise during the 2nd processing: Try to be completely clear on this, so that an amendment to the timetable can possibly be made, so that you don’t get the five-hour time difference between Europe and Greenland in 2028.
Four hours time difference
In Siumut’s original bill, it was stated that changes in time zone and summer time should come into effect on 24 October 2026. If it had been adopted, we would have had a four-hour time difference to Denmark from the coming weekend and five hours from March next year.
That time difference will come no matter what, as long as Denmark still has summer time, if we abolish summer time.
– But there are a few different ways to do it. You can of course make amendments to when daylight saving time and all the different things will come into effect in the bill.
– All the technical things can be reassessed in the committee, how to adapt them, so that we get back to UTC-3, but with that four hour time difference, says Erik Jensen.
If there is to be a fixed time difference for Europe throughout the year, as we have now, it will require that daylight saving time is abolished only when the EU does so.
So will you support it if the committee comes and says that we must wait to abolish summer time until the EU does it?
– Now let’s see what they come up with. Let’s see how to solve it and so on. We will have that discussion when that report comes back.
– But the most important thing is again UTC-3. This is what people want, that we adapt to nature and the nature of the sun, and this is what our bill is based on, says Erik Jensen.
Urgent does not process proposals
Although Siumut suggested during the debate on 13 October that the item be sent back to the Law Committee, the party has no members of the committee.
Therefore, they have not been part of the decision that the committee wanted more time.
Sermitsiaq caught up with the chairman of the Legislative Committee, Bo Martinsen (D), for a brief comment after the decision today.
– We have chosen to postpone the item because some information has come in, which we in the committee want to take a closer look at, whether we should have made a supplementary report, or whether we should let it go through as it is.
What kind of information is that?
– You’ll find out when it comes, says Bo Martinsen.
It is not the first time that the Legislative Committee wants more time to consider the point. During the 2nd treatment at the spring assembly 2026, it was Bo Martinsen himselfwho suggested that the Legislative Committee be given the opportunity to look at the point again.
Why does it keep getting postponed?
– In other words, we are not hastily dealing with a bill that will affect everyone, we choose to do the work thoroughly.
Do you think you’ll make it to the fall collection?
– Yes, I hope so, and I am betting on that, says Bo Martinsen.
There is no date yet for the new 3rd reading of the time determination.
