The whole JAA thing is a beaurocratic nightmare (as is trying to spell it). It has got out of control with the JAA and will only get worse with EASA.
Went to a CAA GA safety presentation back in November, where one of the CAA Doctors spoke about medical requirements under JAA. He said that there has not been one instance yet where the UK has said a medical standard under JAA needs to be tightened. Every case put forward by the CAA has been for less restrictive requirements. The argument put forward has been those standards used by the FAA - which has more licensed pilots on its books then the rest of the world put together. And whats more its accident rate is the same or if not better than that in the UK.
Furthermore the is no charge made by the FAA for the issue of a PPL, it was £143 last year to get mine issued, for a scrappy brown wallet and some bits of paper printed with a bubblejet. I believe from a friend its about £80 to have the words "night rating" added to your PPL. Please correct if I am wrong. Also there are no landing fees in the US, fuel is a quarter the price (because its not taxed in anyway like it is hear).
EASA is only going to make it worse. Read in Flight International letters section today that JAA FCL is going to abolish modular courses for fATPL, only expensive integrated courses will be allowed, because the JAA things that pilots who come from a modular course are unsafe.
But alass, nothing will done. To many people up top with fingers in places.