It's been a while since we reported on the raft of EU legislation that will restrict the sale of nutritional and herbal products in Europe.

The latest news isn't good. The Pharmaceuticals Directive, probably the most significant of the three legislative measures currently being considered by the European Parliament, received a second reading just before Christmas. To the horror of the various natural health lobby groups, many of the amendments that they had negotiated were not included. These amendments would have taken nutritional supplements out of the scope of the legislation - but now they're back in.

The directive contains a definition of a medicinal product as a substance that 'modifies physiological functions', a term that is so amorphous and wide-ranging that even a glass of water could be included, and so become a regulated item.

Certainly, many products found in health stores would fall into the scope of the directive as it now stands unless the lobby groups make EU legislative history by getting back in amendments after a second reading.

Meanwhile, two UK pressure groups, the Alliance for Natural Health and the National Association of Health Stores, have joined forces to mount a legal challenge against the Food Supplements Directive, which will also restrict consumer choice of health products. The challenge will be heard in a UK court on 30 January.

Our own Health Freedom Movement, which culminated in a march on Trafalgar Square last year, is still alive, and is seeking your donations. If you can make a donation, no matter how small, it will help augment the legal challenge. Send donations to: Health Freedom Movement, 2 Salisbury Road, London SW19 4EZ. Thank you.