Eastern European Time

Eastern European Time (EET) is a time zone that is two hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), corresponding to UTC+02:00. It is one of the standard time zones defined by meridians and is used in countries located in eastern and southeastern Europe, as well as in parts of the Middle East and northern Africa.

Most countries that use EET switch to Eastern European Summer Time (EEST) during summer, which is UTC+03:00. The change is made according to daylight saving time practices, with clocks moved forward one hour during the summer months.

Calculation and definition

UTC+02:00 is based on the meridian at 30 degrees east. Time zones do not follow geographic lines precisely; political boundaries and state decisions determine which zone is used. As a result, a country may use EET even though part of its territory lies outside the standard zone.

Use

European countries that use EET include Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, and Cyprus. In the Middle East and northern Africa, countries such as Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and Sudan also use UTC+02:00, though some do not use the term "Eastern European Time."

Summer time

The European Union maintains a uniform system for the changeover: clocks are moved forward on the last Sunday in March and moved back on the last Sunday in October, both following UTC. Countries that use EET but are not members of the European Union have different schedules, and some do not observe summer time at all.

Debate over abolition

Since 2018, the European Union has debated ending the twice-yearly clock change. The European Parliament has supported proposals to abolish the practice, but member countries have not reached a single agreement, and no general change has been implemented. The main obstacle is that different countries prefer to remain on either standard time or permanent summer time, which could create internal market divisions.