THE BATTLE FOR TIME
The determination of time must again be dealt with in Inatsisartut. Now a report has arrived from the law committee, which has changed its mind.
Four hours time difference to Denmark in the winter and five hours in the summer seems to have been too hard a pill for the politicians to swallow.
A majority in the Legislative Committee, consisting of Demokraatit, Inuit Ataqatigiit and Atassut, has tabled an amendment to the third reading of Siumut’s proposal to change the time zone and abolish daylight saving time.
The legislative committee now proposes that we change the time zone back to UTC-3 from October 2027, but that summer time be maintained as long as the EU has it.
If this is adopted, from the end of October next year there will again be a four-hour time difference to Western Europe. At the same time, the sun will rise an hour earlier than it does now.
Although the amendment proposes that Naalakkersuisut can set rules about summer time, the committee’s recommendation is that they follow the EU to avoid a five-hour time difference in the summer.
The report from the committee for the second reading otherwise suggested that summer time should be abolished from 1 January 2027 and that the time zone should not be changed until 2028. But the committee itself asked for more time to review the proposal before the third reading.
The item will be discussed for the third time on Thursday 12 November, when a final decision will be made about what will happen over time.
If it is adopted, it means that on October 31, 2027, we will have to move the clock back two hours to midnight. It coincides with the transition to winter time, when we normally move the clocks back one hour. The extra hour is to change the time zone back to UTC-3.
