The original requirement was for sites to obtain "prior informed consent", and this is essentially impossible - you cannot educate a user about the implications of cookies in a pop-up.
Further, the ICO here in the UK refused to provide meaningful advice as to what was actually required, so it's far from certain that these pop ups are a legal requirement anyway. We use them if the client wants them, but otherwise we simply make sure there is a "Cookies and Privacy" link in the footer that interested users can follow. I'm sure one day some jobsworth will tell me I need to join in this charade, but until that happens, no pop ups from me...
Further, the ICO here in the UK refused to provide meaningful advice as to what was actually required, so it's far from certain that these pop ups are a legal requirement anyway. We use them if the client wants them, but otherwise we simply make sure there is a "Cookies and Privacy" link in the footer that interested users can follow. I'm sure one day some jobsworth will tell me I need to join in this charade, but until that happens, no pop ups from me...