Is the present issue about EASA's powers, which are defined by legislation from the European Parliament, or have we moved beyond this? If we have, then it a case of ensuring that their powers are exercised in accordance with the legislaqtion; otherwise it would be about influencing the form of the legisdlation and any power to allow national differences, which i suspect there would not be. However it begs the question why the French may be allowed to restrict access to altiports by way of a requirement for differences training whilst the UK may not be allowed, for example, to permit the flying of an ILS in IMC without an IR or permit let downs through cloud from VFR on top. Being devil's advocate, the difference in this example is that let downs through cloud are flights under IFR (as defined by ICAO) and EASA is unlikely to wish to file a difference with ICAO allowing this to be done.
What still concerns me is that the new "sports licence" being proposed is itself going to be a sub ICAO licence, thereby severely restricting the ability of pilots to convert or validate their licences in non EASA countries. This seems to be as important an issue as the six pages of mud slinging we have hade here over the IMCR
