The European Parliament has voted to scrap the bi-annual custom of changing clock times in autumn and spring, in favour of maintaining one continuous time in each country.
The changes are to be made by 2021, and EU member states will be able to decide whether they choose to adhere to summer time, or winter time.
The plans could apply to the UK if the country is still in the EU or in a transition period at the cut off in 2021. The government would then have to decide whether to choose winter or summertime.
If the UK did not implement the plans it raises the possibility of Northern Ireland having a different timezone to Ireland for six months a year, or, if it opted, to the rest of the UK.
The changes mean those countries wishing to keep summer time in perpetuity would make their last clock adjustments in March 2021, while those countries who opt to keep winter time would make their last change in October 2021.
A survey done last July of 4.6 million EU citizens revealed 84 per cent of European residents, rising to 93 per cent of people in Spain, want to keep summer hours year-round.
Fewer than fewer than three-quarters of a million people surveyed said they'd prefer to keep the existing system.
Other countries wishing to stay on permanent summer time include Finland, Poland, Lithuania and Hungary.
Although there was a large majority of those surveyed saying they would like to see a change, it emerged around 70 per cent of the survey's replies came from Germany, followed by France, then Austria.
The UK had the lowest level of participation in the survey, with just 0.02 per cent of the population making their views known to Europe.
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