Neither ePrivacy nor GDPR require cookie consent popups, instead they basically say that tracking requires consent. GDPR only mentions cookies once, in its recitals. It's the adtech industry that decided to ignore DNT.
Except that it does. The law specifically prohibits any form of consent that is not informed and specific. As a consequence, a user cannot just consent - or disallow - cookies globally. He has to tick a box for every single domain on earth; and can only do so after reading the specific information box associated to said domain.
As a user, saying "I am OK with analytics cookies but not with marketing ones" is not something I am allowed to express or setup. I have to do it for every domain because the law explicitly forbids a global solution to be implemented.