Rabidone said:
Today with the advent of rapid air travel, I see the time differences between the countries in the European Community as equally stupid.
I bet you would be surprised that the US has 5 different timezones in the continental 48 states...
I still don't quite get this. Why, when GMT is the timezone everyone else in the world measures against, should we change being in the world's time yardstick?
In fact, if you look at this map:
http://www.worldtimezone.com/index24.html
you may care to note that the UK, Ireland, Portugal, Iceland and large swathes of western Africa are on our time.
Another point: If you care to look carefully at the map, you will see why GMT + 1 is called CET (Central European Time). It's for Central Europe. France, Spain, Belguim, the Netherlands and Luxemburg are in fact in Western Europe and are also west of 7* 30' W, so should be on GMT anyway.
The "Trade with France" thing: Two thoughts:
1/ If Spain and the Benelux countries were to have the geographically correct timezone (GMT) France's biggest export partner in terms of timezone would then be GMT:
Export partners of France: Germany (CET) 14.9%, Spain (CET, should be GMT) 9.6%, UK 9.4% (GMT) , Italy (CET) 9.3%, Belgium 7.2% (CET, should be GMT), US 6.8% (2003 est.)
2/ In France this is not an economic issue, it will be a political one. France would love to have moved us from GMT. We'd be seen to kowtow to France. Call me a little Englander but I don't want that to happen.