a CFI at a JAA school can recognise the hours for any ICAO training as counting towards a JAA PPL course.
This a popular misinterpretation of the UK CAA statement in LASORS that:
Any previous flying experience in single engine-piston (Land) aeroplanes gained during incomplete PPL(A) courses may be counted towards the 45 hour minima required for the grant of a JAR-FCL PPL(A), however the specific requirements under JAR-FCL (25 hours dual instruction and 10 hours supervised solo-flight time) must be completed in the state under whose authority the training and testing are carried out. (In certain circumstances training and testing carried out in another JAA Member State may be acceptable towards the issue of a JAR-FCL PPL(A)
and conveniently ignores the bit that says
(see Important Note), probably because the 'editor' of LASORS forgot to include the 'important' note.
In fact, this easement is entirely at the discretion of the CAA, and not of the CFI (as a number of applicants have found to their cost) and may not be accepted by any other JAA member state as it is not in accordance with JAR-FCL.
Here is yet another example of the importance of referring to the source document (JAR-FCL) and not relying on LASORS, which is riddled with errors like this.