Genghis beat me to it.
Legal minima seem to only very rarely represent a safe level of currency. It is quite legal for a pilot to get into an aircraft and fly, having not been in an aircraft for over 700 days. And after only 15 minutes (about the time it takes to do 3 circuits) he can carry passengers. Legal it may be, but it's not safe.
I suspect it is because what makes a safe pilot, in terms of currency, varies enormously, depending on things like the pilot's natural ability, the difficulty of the conditions in which he's flying, the complexity of the aircraft he's flying, the type of flight he is planning (local, x-country, aeros, IMC, etc) and so on, that it wouldn't be possible to suggest a safe limit for every single situation. In fact, it's barely possible to suggest a safe limit for any situation, let alone every one. So all the authorities can do is make you aware of the currency issue by setting a very lenient limit, and letting you make up your own mind within the scope of that limit.
FFF
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