The Balearic Islands of Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera will see time stand still this weekend as the result of a resolution about to be passed in their regional assembly to see them abandon Central European Time (CET) and adopt Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).

So while the rest of Spain will turn their clocks back an hour in the early hours this Sunday morning, in the Balearics it will, technically at least, still be summertime.

The Balearic Islands are a well-known holiday destination, but given their location in the Mediterranean Sea to the east of the Iberian Peninsula, the sun sets earlier there than in other parts of Spain.

The motion to retain summer time on the islands has the support of all parties in the assembly after being made by the Mes per Menorca coalition, which argued that setting clocks back an hour at the end of October and then setting them forward again in March was down to "obsolete industrial" interests, such as the traditional three-hour lunch.

Mes per Menorca proposed it was "more logical to make the most of a resource like the sun," commenting that as well as allowing visitors and residents to enjoy more time outside, it could also promote other health benefits and lead to lower energy use.

The move could be a first step towards the rest of Spain also making the decision to abandon the Central European Time zone it currently occupies and adopt GMT, which is more appropriate for the country's longitude. Endit

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