Java is not really a "pain in the ass" as in hard, its just that its less enjoyable to work with than other languages mainly due to its verbosity. But Java is just one of the many languages on the JVM, those can much more enjoyable, rich, less verbose and still compile to byte code at the end of the day. Alternatives can be Jython, Jruby, Scala, Groovy, Rhino etc... but I am not sure if any companies here do actually use them instead of Java.
I think
New Horizons offer courses and certification in Java, I asked them one about the SCJP a long time ago but never did it. Not sure if they have any related to web though. Try contacting them. Most probably you may be looking for
SCDJWS
I haven't really heard about this popular french requirement for working in jobs related to Java, maybe its just that a number of companies that use Java may have a French origin or something,