From be2603b0314256aa61d5ee82a931d14dc7519c7e Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Paul Eggert Date: Tue, 24 Feb 2026 00:59:21 -0800 Subject: [PROPOSED] Moldova has used EU transition times since 2022 (Thanks to Heitor David Pinto.) * NEWS: Mention this. * europe (Moldova): These rules now end in 2021. (Europe/Chisinau): Start using EU rules in 2022. * zonenow.tab (Europe/Chisinau): Remove, as it now agrees with Europe/Athens for future timestamps. --- NEWS | 12 ++++++++++ europe | 64 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++----- zonenow.tab | 3 --- 3 files changed, 71 insertions(+), 8 deletions(-) diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS index b9df804a..e10fcae7 100644 --- a/NEWS +++ b/NEWS @@ -3,12 +3,24 @@ News for the tz database Unreleased, experimental changes Briefly: + Moldova has used EU transition times since 2022. The "right" TZif files are no longer installed by default. -DTZ_RUNTIME_LEAPS=0 disables runtime support for leap seconds. TZif files are no longer limited to 50 bytes of abbreviations. zic is no longer limited to 50 leap seconds. Several integer overflow bugs have been fixed. + Changes to past and future timestamps + + Since 2022 Moldova has observed EU transition times, that is, it + has sprung forward at 03:00, not 02:00, and has fallen back at + 04:00, not 03:00. (Thanks to Heitor David Pinto.) + + Changes to data + + Remove Europe/Chisinau from zonenow.tab, as it now agrees with + Europe/Athens for future timestamps. + Changes to build procedure The Makefile no longer by default installs an alternate set diff --git a/europe b/europe index 8159bfb1..209f3126 100644 --- a/europe +++ b/europe @@ -1967,7 +1967,6 @@ Zone Europe/Malta 0:58:04 - LMT 1893 Nov 2 # Valletta # From Stepan Golosunov (2016-03-07): # the act of the government of the Republic of Moldova Nr. 132 from 1990-05-04 -# http://lex.justice.md/viewdoc.php?action=view&view=doc&id=298782&lang=2 # ... says that since 1990-05-06 on the territory of the Moldavian SSR # time would be calculated as the standard time of the second time belt # plus one hour of the "summer" time. To implement that clocks would be @@ -2022,9 +2021,63 @@ Zone Europe/Malta 0:58:04 - LMT 1893 Nov 2 # Valletta # says the 2014-03-30 spring-forward transition was at 02:00 local time. # Guess that since 1997 Moldova has switched one hour before the EU. +# From Heitor David Pinto (2026-02-22): +# Soviet Moldovan resolution 132 of 1990 defined the summer time period from +# the last Sunday in March at 2:00 to the last Sunday in September at 3:00, +# matching the dates used in most of Europe at the time: +# https://web.archive.org/web/20211107050832/http://lex.justice.md/viewdoc.php?action=view&view=doc&id=298782&lang=1 +# +# It seems that in 1996 Moldova changed the end date to October like most of +# Europe, but kept the transitions at 2:00 and 3:00 rather than 1:00 UTC, +# which would have been locally 3:00 and 4:00.... +# +# The notices in the Moldovan government website and broadcaster showed the +# transitions at 2:00 and 3:00 until 2021: +# 2015 https://old.gov.md/en/node/7304 +# 2016 https://old.gov.md/en/node/12587 +# 2017 https://old.gov.md/en/node/20654 +# 2017 https://old.gov.md/en/content/moldova-upholds-winter-time-night-28-29-october +# 2018 https://old.gov.md/en/content/moldova-switch-summer-time +# 2018 https://old.gov.md/en/content/cabinet-ministers-informs-about-switch-winter-time-28-october +# 2019 https://old.gov.md/en/content/moldova-switch-summer-time-31-march +# 2019 https://old.gov.md/en/node/31122 +# 2020 https://old.gov.md/en/node/32771 +# 2020 https://old.gov.md/en/node/34497 +# 2021 https://trm.md/ro/social/moldova-trece-in-aceasta-noapte-la-ora-de-vara +# 2021 https://trm.md/en/social/republica-moldova-trece-la-ora-de-iarna1 +# +# However, since 2022, the notices showed the transitions at 3:00 and 4:00, +# matching the EU rule at 1:00 UTC: +# 2022 https://trm.md/en/social/in-acest-weekend-republica-moldova-trece-la-ora-de-vara +# 2022 https://old.gov.md/en/content/moldova-switch-winter-time +# 2023 https://moldova1.md/p/6587/ora-de-vara-2023-cum-schimbam-acele-ceasornicelor-si-cand-trecem-la-ora-de-vara +# 2023 https://old.gov.md/en/node/46662 +# 2024 https://moldova1.md/p/26535/republica-moldova-trece-la-ora-de-vara-in-acest-weekend +# 2024 https://moldova1.md/p/37768/republica-moldova-trece-in-aceasta-noapte-la-ora-de-iarna +# 2025 https://moldova1.md/p/46349/republica-moldova-trece-la-ora-de-vara-pe-30-martie-cum-ne-afecteaza-si-ce-recomanda-medicii +# 2025 https://moldova1.md/p/60469/republica-moldova-trece-la-ora-de-iarna-ceasurile-se-dau-inapoi-cu-o-ora +# +# It seems that the changes to the end date and transition times were just +# done in practice without formally changing the resolution. In late 2025, the +# government said that the Soviet resolution was still in force, and proposed +# a new resolution to replace it and formally establish the EU rule: +# https://particip.gov.md/ro/document/stages/anunt-de-initiere-a-proiectului-de-hotarare-pentru-aprobarea-orei-oficiale-pe-teritoriul-republicii-moldova-si-a-orarului-de-vara/15500 +# https://gov.md/sites/default/files/media/documents/sedinte-de-guvern/2026-02/NU-1036-MDED-2025.pdf +# +# It plans to approve the proposed resolution on 25 February 2026: +# https://gov.md/en/node/9683 +# +# However, based on the notices, it seems that in practice Moldova already +# uses the EU rule since 2022. This was also the year when Moldova applied to +# join the EU. + +# From Paul Eggert (2026-02-24): +# Also see Svetlana Rudenko, "Moldova abandons the 'Soviet era'", Logos Press, +# 2026-02-21 . + # Rule NAME FROM TO - IN ON AT SAVE LETTER/S -Rule Moldova 1997 max - Mar lastSun 2:00 1:00 S -Rule Moldova 1997 max - Oct lastSun 3:00 0 - +Rule Moldova 1997 2021 - Mar lastSun 2:00 1:00 S +Rule Moldova 1997 2021 - Oct lastSun 3:00 0 - # Zone NAME STDOFF RULES FORMAT [UNTIL] Zone Europe/Chisinau 1:55:20 - LMT 1880 @@ -2037,7 +2090,8 @@ Zone Europe/Chisinau 1:55:20 - LMT 1880 2:00 Russia EE%sT 1992 2:00 E-Eur EE%sT 1997 # See Romania commentary for the guessed 1997 transition to EU rules. - 2:00 Moldova EE%sT + 2:00 Moldova EE%sT 2022 + 2:00 EU EE%sT # Poland @@ -2423,7 +2477,7 @@ Zone Atlantic/Madeira -1:07:36 - LMT 1884 # Funchal # Nine O'clock # (1998-10-23) reports that the switch occurred at # 04:00 local time in fall 1998. For lack of better info, -# assume that Romania and Moldova switched to EU rules in 1997, +# assume that Romania switched to EU rules in 1997, # the same year as Bulgaria. # # Rule NAME FROM TO - IN ON AT SAVE LETTER/S diff --git a/zonenow.tab b/zonenow.tab index 1d64b391..aa3a64f3 100644 --- a/zonenow.tab +++ b/zonenow.tab @@ -166,9 +166,6 @@ XX +3003+03115 Africa/Cairo Egypt # +02/+03 - EET/EEST (Lebanon DST) XX +3353+03530 Asia/Beirut Lebanon # -# +02/+03 - EET/EEST (Moldova DST) -XX +4700+02850 Europe/Chisinau Moldova -# # +02/+03 - EET/EEST (Palestine DST) XX +3130+03428 Asia/Gaza Palestine # -- 2.51.0