We do see differences between States - hardly ever do UK give minimum/maximum rates of descent of "be out of FL XXX within Y minutes" which I notice does happen in France. In Germany you quite often get "1,500 per minute or more till passing FL XXX".
The one which can throw you occasionally is when you're used to a waypoint restriction and they the guy on the sector gives you a "by 80 DME before XXX) - used to happen on A25 northbound around Brecon - you plug it into the FMC or put it on the map only to find it's the same position as the waypoint!!