Confusion
Me thinks that there is some confusion on what the purpose of licensing is. Just to remind you, JAA exams are not tough to keep foreigners out or protect the market, these are tough to give a good and thorough knowledge to those going for an ATPL.
Today's market in US is far cry from the days when a foreigner could come and sweep hangar floors and live in a camper outside some small FBO. Visas are just simply not enough for anything else than flight instructing or the odd first officer program. To be able to work for pt135 or pt121 operator it is the "Green card" that is required. Those that I know in US flying on the said paper tell me that even then they are subject to all sorts of hassle and additional screening due to the lack of US citizenship.
It is still relatively easy to obtain a work permit for the Schengen countries if there is a company that is willing to hire a foreigner.
The point has been made here about everyone having to go through the process of the said 14 exams. Well yes, this is the case. Hopefully it will change to something where previous experience is taken into account. But today it is what it is. There are for example several hundred EU nationals flying in EU on a non JAA licence on a validation, some of them for years. They have all the knowledge and use JAROPS1 rules on everyday basis pass LPC's OPC's, DGR etc training on regular basis. However should they want to obtain a full JAA ATPL they will still need to go through the 14 exam rumba. I would think that one flying for JAROPS1 AOC holder is more qualified to receive credit, should any be ever given, than one that has no experience in that area
It has been mentioned several times here that these hard exams restrict Europe from hiring experienced and good pilots "From the other side of the pond". I totally disagree. It does not. A person that receives a work permit or is otherwise qualified such as EU passport holders or Right to abode in European countries for other reasons and willing to study and pass the exams are all on the same line.
That said the most lack of SOP compliance and non-standard RT work as well as lack of basic knowledge is in my experience ( As a check and training capt) with those from US. This is not to say that Europeans or other nationalities are never guilty of the said.
As a last note: It seems that EASA implementation will bring some significant changes to the FCL and perhaps rationalise license conversion, at least to some extent.