Countries Consider Canceling Daylight Saving

Since the announcement that Russia would not switch back to winter time starting the autumn of 2011, more countries such as Belarus and Ukraine are considering the costs and benefits of daylight saving time in their country.

Daylight Saving Time in Belarus

A special committee was created in Belarus to consider the costs and benefits of eliminating daylight saving time (DST) in Belarus in the autumn of 2011. The committee will include representatives from relevant ministries and agencies such as the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Energy, and others.

The committee meeting date has yet to be determined but changes discussed during the meeting would not be in force until the spring of 2011. Belarus would continue to follow their current DST schedule, which would set the clocks forward one hour on Sunday, March 27, 2011.

Belarus currently follows Eastern European Time (EET) which is 2 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). Daylight saving time annually begins in Belarus on the last Sunday of March and ends on the last Sunday of October. During DST, Belarus follows Eastern European Summer Time (EEST) or UTC+3.

Time in Ukraine

Member of Parliament Vadym Kolesnichenko plans to convince other MPs to adopt his bill to cancel daylight saving time (DST) in Ukraine. He believes that changing the clocks in the spring and autumn is not useful and causes stress. He welcomed Russian President Dmitry Medvedev?s decision to cancel the transition to winter time. The Ministry of Healthcare of Ukraine intends to analyze the possibility of canceling daylight saving time in Ukraine.?

Ukraine currently follows Eastern European Time (EET) or UTC+2. DST annually begins on the last Sunday of March and ends on the last Sunday of October. During DST, Ukraine follows Eastern European Summer Time (EEST) or UTC+3.