The UK CAA have been making it clear for quite some time that if you want to transition to an EASA licence from a UK ICAO licence you need to get a JAA one first.
Burying your heads in the sand and expecting to transition directly will do nothing on other than give you something to moan about on forums about how unfair life is.
If you get a JAA licence now you do it as a paperwork only excercise. That licence will then automatically become an EASA licence next year and on renewal will then become valid for life.
Trying to go direct from ICAO to easier is going to involve some as yet defined path which is likely to include training and testing.