The Council of Ministers of the European Union approved a draft directive to that effect in June.

ECONOMIST: EU takeover rules

The Council and European Parliament have reached an agreement on single European railway area directive.

BBC: Single European railway area

In Europe a new directive has go through the European Commission, the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers.

ECONOMIST: Don��t bank on Brussels

The so-called Pharmacovigilance directive has already been agreed by the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament's Public Health Committee.

BBC: New law to report adverse effects of medicines

But even if the directive is agreed to by the Council of Ministers and travels unscathed through the European Parliament, it does not go nearly far enough.

ECONOMIST: Europe��s last post