By contrast, if I were BALPA or Oxford Aviation, I would lobby very much in favour of the proposal, using every dirty trick in the book, because such protectionist measures would advance my members' interests or my business interests, even if this were to the detriment of aviation in Europe as a whole
Yep thats what you up against. Add in as well the rest of the pro pilot groups.
Your also up against the fact that you use the same resources as a revenue generating CAT aircraft when you inside the airways system. So you have most of the ATS providers against you as well.
FAA training material is payed for by the US tax payer. In europe the individual has to pay for it. Landings fees again are payed for by the local taxpayers of the local airport. Every airport in the UK is a commercial concern and doesn't get any help apart from the scottish HIAL airports which do get subsidised from central goverment to allow transport links with the rest of the UK.
If the US did become the defacto training provider to europe the whole of the european aviation would be dependent on the US not changing the rules to allow european pilots to use the system. After the schools are gone thats it. The number of training aircraft will decrease, the supply of instructors with the skill set will be gone. It would take years and a hellva lot of capital to kick start the industry again.
But all that aside I still can't get past my view that if your a perm resident of europe you should jump through the same hoops as the rest of us. Bollocks they maybe and I am not disputing that fact all though what you say is 3rd rate I found I have used more and more of it over the years.