Lima Juliet, I work with the chap to whom you refer on a regular basis and we also attend certain EASA licensing meetings. Which are pretty tedious events!
The recent amendment to Opinion 08/2017 may well prove of significant benefit with regard to the future of the NPPL; the only problem now is that the amended Basic Regulation is forcing an editorial review of all recent Opinions due to changes in cross-referencing. EASA's lawyers have no interest in expeditious work, hence many details agreed several years ago have still to be progressed into EU law.