JAA is run by ex airline and mil people
There is a greater subtlety here. The "mil" people are those who didn't make the grade in the RAF (or its foreign equivalent). Those who wanted to be pilots but weren't good enough.
These people occupy a lot of the senior administrative and regulatory posts.
It's no wonder we have this anally retarded regime.
Now, EASA is trying to bring in a decent Europe-wide license and airframe certification (give them credit for that) and they are already being sabotaged by the national CAAs.
The ex-airline people might actually be OK. They make great bar proppers, especially those with the grey hair and huge bellies and hearing aids, and the stories about departing from Kabul in a 707 with one duff engine.