Ah, this old chestnut again. It's quite true that some JAA member states refuse to recognise modular licence training carried out in non-member states. Their argument is that JAR-FCL 1.015 requires member states to recognise only training carried out in accordance with JAR-FCL1. Since Appendix 1b to JAR-FCL 1.055 states that training conducted outside JAA member states "...will be confined to all or part of the ATP integrated course." modular training carried out in the USA is thus clearly not carried out in accordance with JAR-FCL1 and there is, therefore, no obligation on any member state to recognise the licence so gained.
It is quite amazing the lengths that some states will go to in order to avoid their responsibilities - the French DGAC recently refused to recognize an OPC conducted on the holder of a French issued JAA licence at a major UK TRTO on the grounds that the TRE conducting the check held a Maltese issued JAA licence. The reason given was that, although Malta was a full member of the JAA, it was not, at the time, a member of the EU - go figure!!