SS
There is a significant chunk of the world that regards itself as intellectually and morally superior to the USA (Europe) yet is very happy to freeload on the back of the USA on security. How much has the USA spent on defence, and doing various dirty work (most of it necessary) around the world, since the commies took over in 1946?
Even with the Iron Curtain down, the hypocrisy continues. The USA doesn't seem to mind; somebody has to do it and a relative absence of anarchy is in their national interest anyway.
The DfT is indeed making its case on the basis of lack of regulatory oversight, but that bit isn't hard to fix. The data can either be easily provided (let's face it, the whole airport and every plane spotter within 100 miles have seen your plane parked there) or it is already known. The plane spotters have most of it well documented, right down to airframe serial numbers
The real issue behind this is good old traditional European protectionism. Flying schools have been lobbying for domestic business since day 1. That (and the European intellectual superiority
) is why the FAA IR cannot be used in a Euro-reg aircraft for IFR in CAS. If EASA accepted FAA certification, and accepted the FAA IR (for noncommercial use as a concession) most of the N business would go away. Running a plane under N is hassle, hassle and more hassle. Relative to Private CofA G, there are almost no advantages for the small aircraft owner.
On certification, EASA have pushed the CAA into a purely paper passing-on role (no more AANs) and are gradually accepting FAA certification but it is the STC HOLDER (not you the owner) who has to apply for it. Most American firms can't be bothered to do the paperwork for this, especially for a less than common aircraft type. So it isn't a lot of progress, unless there is a big commercial drive behind something (like e.g. SR22 certification).
On the FAA IR acceptance, the chance of Euro protectionism going away is IMHO nil.
EASA will take over FCL from the CAA anyway, very soon. All that the CAA/DfT will be able to control after that will be odds and ends e.g. the right to park a plane in the UK, and the colour temperature of fluorescent lighting in the room used to sit the JAA exams