UK JAA CPL and spanish ME/IR ???

[birdlady]

Ok slight hijack but Im hoping one of you can explain this to me as I've spent the better part of a month trying to get the answer from the DGAC.

I have a UK JAA PPL that is about to expire (next mayish). I am living in France for the summer and before I go back to ICAO land I want to renew my licence. After a long absentisim from the skies (four years due to being totally skint and living in the gulag) Im a happy bunny. Its JAA so I think I should be home and dry. I thought I might kill two birdies with one stone and get a night rating as well as getting my licence renewed. Apparently (according to any aeroclub within a hundread mile radius) one cannot do this in France as for some reason they are not willing to sign off on a Uk JAA licence even for revalidation. Can someone please explain this lunacy

Ta