Taking a wide overview it seems to me that sports and commercial aviation are separating through a combination of security and "safety" (of commercial traffic) concerns, not to mention ill targetted regulation. The tendency of individual airports to exclude GA either directly or through high landing fees and mandatory handling is contributing to this. This tendency in Europe seems to be mirrored in the relative dearth of certified GA aircraft manufacturers in Europe (Diamond, Tecnam with its certified twin and soon to arrive four seater, and what used to be Robin). Every other manufacturer is going the LSA/VLA route which at present are day VFR only aircraft. They will use small airfields which will not be able to afford any form of instrument approach, GPS or anything else.
The EU missed a trick when they drafted the basic regulation. Really, I don't think they wanted to be involved in GA at all and had they done a better job of drafting it they would not have been. As it is we have the ludicrous situation where a Spitfire is Annex II but a C150 not; where a Bulldog is Annex II but the very closely related Pup is EASA!
If the EASA PPL allows VFR on top then for most pilots the only limitation in practical terms will be descending in IMC.