I've been flying in europe for 20 years and it is only the past 2 months that filed flight levels are the only ones you are 'allowed' to fly at!
Has something changed,
Yes! Try and keep up, it's been mentioned several times already! What the Spanish are doing is applying it to the letter. Other units are being put under increasing pressure by their management to do likewise where level changes and/or shortcuts would affect sector capacity management.