This comes after the European Commission launched an enquiry into whether Europeans wanted to see the end of the European time change, and 84 percent of those polled said yes - including 79 percent of Portuguese.
In Portugal, 34,000 people took part in the survey, however the government has apparently chosen to go against the will of that slice of the population and maintain the twice-a-year clock change.
During a television interview aired Monday night on TVI24, Costa said: “I think that the best and only criteria [on which to base a decision] is that of science, and what has been expressed so far by the competent entity, which is the Astronomical Observatory of Lisbon, is the understanding that in Portugal we must maintain this bi-yearly regime, with a summer time and a winter time”.
He then added: “I see no reason to contradict science and do something discretionary”.
In the 44-page report delivered in August by the Lisbon Astronomical Observatory, which was based on different scientific papers, it was concluded that the current routine should be maintained.
“A winter and summer timetable is beneficial for most people”, the report said.
However, it did note that the European Union and the Portuguese State should support and approve an improvement to the current summer-time regime, by changing its end to the last Sunday in September instead of October.
The European Parliament first started discussing a possible end to changing clocks backwards and forwards in early February this year.
The practice has been in force since 30 April 1916 and has been coordinated by the European Union since 1996. Countries such as Russia, Turkey and Iceland have already abolished this practice, but it seems that in Portugal everything will be staying the same for the foreseeable future.
Member states have until April 2019 to decide whether or not to keep winter or summer time from October 2019. They are free to decide once and for all whether they want to permanently apply summer- or wintertime.
If the proposal were to be tabled, it would need approval from both the European Parliament and the European Council.