At the meeting of the transport ministers of the Baltic States, which will take place from May 18 to 19 in Tallinn, the possibility of abandoning seasonal clock changes is planned to be discussed, the Ministry of Transport reported.
The ministry received a letter from the Lithuanian Minister of Transport and Communications with questions that are planned to be discussed at the meeting of the transport ministers of the three Baltic States, including the position of the transport sector regarding the possible abandonment of seasonal clock changes, the ministry reported.
In this matter, the Ministry of Transport is closely coordinating its actions with the Ministry of Economy, which is responsible for making decisions about time changes in Latvia.
Transport Minister Aitis Švinkers finds it important to ascertain the opinion of the sector; however, during discussions in Tallinn, he will express the overall national position of Latvia, agreed upon at the interdepartmental level, the ministry emphasized.
Earlier, the Ministry of Economy reported that Latvia generally supports the abandonment of seasonal clock changes and is ready to switch to summer time after the regulatory framework is adopted.
The ministry explained that this position was approved at a Cabinet meeting on February 19, 2019.
At the same time, before making decisions, the Baltic States and their closest neighbors should reach an agreement on the choice of time zone that will be established as the standard time after the cancellation of seasonal clock changes, the Ministry of Economy noted.
The ministry indicated that before decisions are made, the European Commission should conduct a comprehensive and thorough impact assessment. Such an assessment should cover not only direct and indirect economic costs but also other important aspects: the impact on the functioning of the internal market, public health, transport and cross-border services, digital systems, as well as regional and geographical features.
Latvia is ready to participate in discussions and conduct an assessment of possible solutions if the issue is resumed at the European Union (EU) level with the aim of achieving a coordinated and agreed position across the EU, including at the level of the Baltic States, the Ministry of Economy noted.
As reported, the Lithuanian Minister of Transport and Communications, Jaras Taminskas, has appealed to the ministers of Latvia, Poland, Sweden, Finland, and Estonia to abandon the transition to winter and summer time.
