Update: timescale

Yesterday it wasn't clear what the implementation route and timescale was likely to be. Now we know that it looks as if the Directive will need to be approved by the Council of Ministers and the Parliament, and that the new European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Affairs, Tonio Borg, hopes to achieve this before June 2014 when Parliament membership changes. This would mean the changes may come into effect in 2015.*

So it looks as if we may have two years to fight this - maybe to mid-2014. The final part of the fight will be to convince MEPs to vote it out, if the Directive makes it as far as the vote in Parliament. Once it is adopted by vote then that's it. Fighting this death sentence for thousands of people will be all about noise and money; consumers need to do their part and make the noise.