No I do not, but that is a totally different argument. And yes, I have done the conversion which I agree was expensive and time consuming but like many the lure of JAA was the larger earning capacity once converted.
Many people will argue that the subject matter is vast and largely irrelevant. An argument which by its very nature will show that many ICAO licence holders have not been taught several of the syllabus points.
The JAA is not imposing more onerous requirements on a licence convertee than on an ab initio. To allow people to convert without having covered the syllabus which they have, rightly or wrongly, deemed necessary undermines their entire system.
I fully appreciate that if I choose to go to say, Japan, that I will have to either jump through, or have demonstrated that I have already jumped through, all the requirements that they prescribe for licence issue. And pay exorbitant fees. Any argument that I may have about the relevancy of their syllabus is a totally different matter IMVHO
If I felt there was a disparity between how licence convertees and ab initios were treated, then yes my argument would be different.