The BCPL was a 25 hour Modular course. There was a 10 hour credit for holders of an IMC rating.
The JAR-FCL CPL course is a 25 hour Modular course with no credit for an IMC rating.
The examinations are no more difficult, they are just different. You do have to take an approved groundschool course either full time, or part time + correspondence before you can sit the exams.
You do not have to build up 700 hours to operate commercially under the JAA system. The IR course is longer 55 hours, 50 if you have a CPL of which up to 40 can be conducted in a STD (Sim).
Generally speaking, lots of new names but what you do is just about the same.