FFF - As I said, there is no indication on either the JAA or UK CAA website that the rules have been relaxed. If a National Authority has been ignoring the requirements of JAR-FCL 1 and allowing this to go on, then other member states are not obliged to accept the licence so gained as it has not been issued in accordance with JAR-FCL 1.
You are quite right that ratings may be completed in any member state and, so long as the rating is completed in accordance with JAR-FCL 1, the State of Licence Issue is obliged to add it to the licence. Although most states have no problem with this, France has repeatedly refused to recognise type ratings on completely spurious grounds.