Western European Summer Time
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Western European Summer Time (WEST) is the time zone used during the summer months in countries that observe Western European Time (WET). It is one hour ahead of UTC (Coordinated Universal Time), written as UTC+1.
The system changes twice a year: in spring, the clock is moved forward one hour, and in autumn, it is moved back. The stated purpose is to extend daylight into working and social hours. When the change occurs, countries move from UTC+0 (WET) to UTC+1 (WEST).
Countries using
The main countries that observe WET/WEST include Portugal (excluding the Azores, which are one hour behind), Spain's Canary Islands, and the Faroe Islands. The United Kingdom and Ireland use the same time scheme (UTC+0/UTC+1), but under different names: British Summer Time and Irish Standard Time.
Changeover dates
According to European Union law, the changeover occurs on the last Sunday of March and the last Sunday of October, at the same moment across all EU member states on the UTC scale. For this reason, the difference between WEST and Central European Summer Time (CEST) remains one hour throughout the year.
Debate over discontinuation
In recent years, Europe has debated whether to end clock changes. The European Commission proposed giving member states the right to choose a permanent time, but no binding decision affecting all countries was implemented. The debate is driven by concerns about sleep and health, and on the other side by arguments regarding business and energy benefits.