Prop swinger, you're clearly correct that the main issue for GA in Europe is lack of government funded GA infrastructure, but that wouldn't be nearly as much of a problem if government didn't charge so much for the GA services they don't provide, and if there weren't redundant layers of regulatory bodies, all doing little except building roadblocks and collecting the taxes you mention in the service of self perpetuation.
You would hope that paying many Euro/Pounds/Etc in fuel tax as a fee to government for every hour flown would provide more services and more effective, joined up regulation, but it doesn't. That makes GA travel in Europe unnecessarily complex, as described. GA flight plans between Shengen Zone countries with no border controls are a pretty good example in my mind.
I do spend considerable time in Europe and elsewhere every year, have flown in UK, Germany, Austria and Italy, hold European citizenship, and pay tax on European income too, just as I'm sure many others here travel worldwide. So "gold fish bowls" are not the issue at hand.
Last edited by Silvaire1; 22nd Dec 2014 at 16:00.
Reason: Grammar correction