If Neil Armstrong is right and you are on the run....and looking for a new adventure. Try Slovakia. I know one ex-US mil pilot who now flies as a 737Captain with Sky Europe.
The freedom to work issue is related to EU citizens crossing EU borders. For foreigner work permit, it is all down to national requirements, and certain nations are more open to negotiation than others.
If its a JAA carrier, you will need to do the crossover, which I am told is expensive and time consuming.
Its true that pay is not so good, but if you live like a local (as all the locals do) you can get by reasonably comfortably. In Bratislava, outside the tourist centre, two large beers and a plate of steak and chips can be about 5 bucks.