The European Court of Justice has recently upheld an ill-conceived EU directive that could see a number of vitamin supplements disappearing from the shelves of the UK's health food stores within the next few weeks.

Conservatives, alongside celebrities such as actress Jenny Seagrove, have backed a campaign against the Food Supplements Directive, which will require health food stores to go through a long-winded bureaucratic process to get supplements like 1,000mg Vitamin C tablets authorised for sale in the UK.

Unfortunately, Labour MEPs supported the new red tape and the Government failed to oppose the directive when it was passing through the European institutions.

This move can be described as nothing other than a further extension of the nanny state. Now that the court has decided the directive will go ahead, Conservative MEPs will be pressing the British Government to ensure that its transposition into UK law ensures as much flexibility as possible so that the impact of this intrusive legislation is minimised.

Syed Kamall, Conservative
MEP for London