Bit late to join the debate maybe, But...
I think that the path for Europe lies somewhere in between the two opinions- The joint responsibility approach has served well, I don't think that's in any doubt.
I'm not sure that it would work in Europe yet, simply from cultural reasons and where we're starting from- it strikes me as an awfully big chunk to swallow straight away. Especially as we haven't even got a set of standards to aim at.
I would like to see the joint responsibility approach with trained, certified and checked Ops staff, but I think it has to be introduced in stages.
First we have to introduce a common set of standards covering what should be expected of an operator's ops room and the staff within, then maybe we should introduce training, certification and recurrency standards. An 'Active Ops centre' ( by which I mean constant flight progress checking, live WX feeds and constant communication) should be next.
In my previous incarnation, whilst not all qualified dispatchers/ Ops blokes, we had a bl**dy good go at providing proper support to the crews, and making sure that they operated as safely as can be, but that company set and demanded high standards of itself and its staff, and made sure there was appropriate support and training, at least until the money men got in anyway.
I suppose what I'm trying to say is that it can be done without recourse to legislation, but it needs the operator to buy in to this- In todays financial climate where everything has a cost (apart from the CEO's bonus, of course) that may be difficult to do without legislative pressure.
On another point, in Europe we are still fighting some entrenched 'us and them' attitudes from some pilots. I know that's not the case in the states where pilots have every respect for good ops/ dispatchers, but it is going to be a big hurdle in Europe.
As an aside, If frosty hoar is talking about the people I think he's talking about, I agree totally with him!! I saw one in action- extremely frenzied, arm-waving, picnic-wrapper flapping action...Still makes me shudder to think on it today...It was only over a weather diversion as well, still...ho hum...bl**dy good at getting wally birds across the pond, though...
Anyway Frosty, hope the fiendling is behaving herself. rgds to all in particular SP