That's a fair point- I don't know the specifics of the AA programme.

If the OP is from ATL, there is a lot of Skyteam activity out of ATL due to DL's presence there, though many of the flights will be either DL or DL-operated codeshares (for example the Alitalia flights between ATL and Italy are all operated by Delta). ATL to AMS or CDG should be doable, though.

However, IMHO, an economy-class award ticket between Europe and N. America is very poor use of miles.
Award tickets should only be used on flights where lack of competition is keeping prices high (extreme example being AKL-SCL flights), the destination/routing is too complex to reach on a reasonably-priced paid ticket (e.g. going from MOW to EZE with a stopover at PTY), or the difference between economy and business is a lot smaller in miles than it is in money (example: CDG-MEX and back cheapest nonstop in Y €545+, cheapest nonstop in C €2691+, 50000 miles for Y, 80000 miles for C).
Economy tickets between the US and Europe are very very cheap- you can fly round-trip across the pond for under €500 all in, and that's just a cheap Y ticket, not a super-duper sale fare.
What I would advise the OP to do is to look for an FFP that would allow him to use his miles to upgrade to business class (though I do have a feeling that prices for these tickets are sliding down fast, too- there's a sale on now and you can fly Continental EWR-Europe-EWR in business for the princely sum of $1000!).
I know that BA (OW) and BD (*A) offer some variations on the Miles for Upgrades theme, but I am not sure of the exact terms and of who else offers it. I suggest the OP asks in the specific airline forum.