I think it is a matter of agreement
and not EU law
and north against south
an een EEtaly: it is settrionale against ( o verso) meridionale
as the gt leddy used to say - it was always thus.
And dates far before the days of the EEC and EU .
The Greeks and Romans it is said, took a few hours off during the day at Troy Homer tells us
Norf and Souf divide is more clearly set out here:
Che si trova a settentrione, cioè a nord, sia assolutamente (cioè a nord dell'equatore, ma in questo senso si dice più spesso boreale), sia relativamente ad altre zone poste più a sud (contrapponendosi sempre a meridionale): regioni, paesi s.; l'America S.; le coste s. dell'Australia; i sistemi montuosi più s.
lots of people go south in summer for the sun
and not really lots to Iceland. Merkel ( North ) doesnt like it much.