IO540
You make some very good points about limitations of MEA etc. I bet you are talking about the germanic types though
Down here in the centre, where there is a lot of CB a activity in the summer, arbitrary, non terrain related MEA can be negotiated. For example from Bratislava to Wiener Neustadt the SID takes you up to 7000ft and initially away from the destination for ten miles. I guess for separation from inbound traffic. If you don't file this, Eurocontrol will reject. However after departure I would normally ask for, and get, a level off at 3000ft and a short cut. Coming back the other way however, try getting anything out of the Austrians
If I come back from the Slovenian coast and the weather is iffy, I will take an extra 40 miles and dog leg through Hungary, to avoid the busy and less than flexible Vienna airspace.