"I have heard it will certainly make flying a self-launching glider easier - AFAIK at present anyone wanting to fly one of those needs an NPPL,"
cats_five, please excuse me for being picky: changing licencing won't make flying a self-launcher any easier, or any more difficult. The aircraft, the flying challenges and the vast amount of fun to be had will be all be exactly the same.
Illustrates neatly, though, the sheer nonsense of licences.
(Currently, for self launchers, a UK pilot needs an SLMG or TMG rating on a licence; NPPL, UK PPL or JAA-FCL PPL.
EASA opinion is that after the transition period - Apr 2015 - the pilot of a self launcher will need an SPL or LAPL(S) which includes self launching as one of the launch methods.)