In the early hours of Sunday, October 26, in mainland Portugal and Madeira, clocks should be turned back 60 minutes at 2:00 AM to 1:00 AM.
In the Azores, this change will occur at 1:00 AM on the same day, moving to midnight.
Legal time will change again on March 29, 2026, for the start of daylight saving time.
Throughout the EU, Sunday marks the first day of summer time, as Brussels revisits the long-standing debate on ending the seasonal clock adjustment in spring and autumn.
Following a statement by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on Monday that Spain will propose to the EU a definitive end to the clock change in Europe, the European Commission and the European Parliament have urged member states to follow suit.
During a debate on the issue, all political groups expressed support for ending the clock change, highlighting its negative health impacts. The commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism argued the practice “no longer serves any purpose.”
“It is a system that affects us all, frustrates the majority, and even harms people,” stated Apostolos Tzitzikostas.
The current system of clock changes is governed by a 2000 directive, stipulating that clocks are to be adjusted by one hour forward and back on the last Sunday of March and October, marking the start and end of daylight saving time.
The debate about seasonal adjustment is not new. In 2019, the European Parliament voted to end the time change by 2021, following a public consultation by the European Commission, where 84% of the 4.6 million respondents supported this position.
However, the measure stalled due to a lack of consensus in the EU Council, where member states’ ministers could not agree on a common response to the legislative proposal.
