The originator of this thread was not being alarmist.
In 1999, the German CAA attempted an almost idenitcal charging scheme for Air Navigation Services provided within Germany. Like the SES proposal, the Germans calculated the full cost (just liek the SES, their costing included direct and indirect costs) of the supplied services (VOR, LAR, MET etc) and then decided what would be a "fair" amount for the VFR community to shoulder. They decided around 3% would be OK. Like SES, they decided that a blanket annual charg was the best way to organize the payment. The annual charge was around £2400 per registered aircraft!
A huge outcry from the German GA commmunity (65, 000 responses inside 4 weeks), some skillful political lobbying from the DAeS and a fortunate change of Minister allowed them to overturn the proposed scheme.
The problem we have with EUROCONTROL is that they offer us just a few paltry weeks of consultation and after this it is a done deal. There will be no overturning it (just as they have given no ground with Annex II, Mode S, etc etc).
Our National Aero Clubs and Europe Air Sports are doing their best to represent us, but the only way that the Brussels chaps will really sit up and take notice is if they can smell a future problem of mass complaint from the large (700,000 Europewide) GA community.
We MUST respond individually using the EUROCONTROL pro-forma form with our howls of protest. If we do not do this small thing, then we have no right to complain when we are writing our annual cheque that will cost more than hangaring our planes.
Please write, the deadline is soon (17th Sept). Please copy your objections to your MP and MEP.