Bose-x, there is little mileage in your "sitting on the wall" stirring it up smugness.
People's livelihoods and significant extra (unproven benefit) expense are at stake here.
Just because (for some undiscernable reason) you decided to fork out a far larger sum of money and give up far more valuable time going through the convoluted path to obtain a european IR to go with the rest of your ("do I need any more") qualifications should not condemn the rest of us to do the same.
Come up with a reciprocal euro IR-lite and you will be forgiven, IO540 is far from alone in feeling concerned about proposals that would change the current infrastructure.
The eurocrats needs to make their qualification accessible and hence obviate the need for us to troop over to the USA and get the FAA qualification.
In the meantime - put a sock in it.
SB