Central European Time
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Central European Time, abbreviated CET in English, is a time zone one hour ahead of UTC (Coordinated Universal Time, the internationally recognized standard). It is written as UTC+01:00. The zone is used by many countries in central, southern, and parts of western Europe.
Most CET countries shift to a different time during summer, called Central European Summer Time (CEST), which is UTC+02:00. This change is made under the daylight saving system, moving the clock forward during the warmer months and back again afterward.
# Areas of use
Countries using CET include Germany, France, Spain (except the Canary Islands), Italy, Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Sweden, Denmark, and many Balkan countries. It is also used by some North African countries lying on the same meridian.
# Scientific basis
CET is based on the 15° east meridian, which is the standard calculation for time zones: every 15 degrees of longitude equals one hour. However, the boundaries of time zones do not follow geographic lines precisely; they are determined by governments to suit economic and administrative coordination.
# Related zones
Europe has three major time zones: Western European Time (UTC+00:00), CET (UTC+01:00), and Eastern European Time (UTC+02:00). During summer, each shifts forward by one hour.