Moldova to apply new and clear rules on official time, in line with European standards

The Republic of Moldova is giving up the Soviet rule on how time is calculated and will apply new and clear rules on official time, in line with European standards. This is stipulated in a decision approved today by the Government.

According to the draft, the official time on the territory of the Republic of Moldova is the standard time (Coordinated Universal Time – UTC) established by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures, increased by two hours, and corresponds to the UTC+2 time zone.

At the same time, on the territory of the Republic of Moldova, a summer time schedule will be established annually, aligned with the summer time schedule applied in the member states of the European Union. During the summer time schedule, daylight saving time is set one hour ahead of the official time indicated. The summer time schedule begins on the last Sunday of March at 3:00 a.m. (standard time), which becomes 4:00 a.m. It ends on the last Sunday of October at 4:00 a.m, which becomes 3:00 a.m. (standard time).

By the same decision, the Government repealed the Decision of the Council of Ministers of the Moldavian SSR No. 132/1990 on changing the method of calculating time on the territory of the Moldavian SSR.

“As the modern world becomes more digital, the requirements for time synchronization increase. Synchronized and harmonized time actually means transport and logistics without bottlenecks, secure and timely payments and banking operations, proper functioning of IT systems and telecommunications, and predictability for the business environment. It is important that this decision does not involve additional expenditures from the state budget and does not generate costs for the business environment. It ensures clarity, stability, and continuity. Essentially, we are talking about a technical measure, but one with a direct impact on the proper functioning of the economy and on our integration into the European Union’s single market,” State Secretary of the Ministry of Economic Development and Digitalization Cristina Ceban said.

The decision will enter into force upon the publication in the Official Journal of the Republic of Moldova.