In France, if you fly IFR to an airfield without an IFR approach, the French regulation requires that you are in sight of the surface and out of clouds at 3500 AMSL.
An IR rated pilot would fly an approach at a nearby airfield, and once below clouds, would cancel IFR and continue to destination.
Unless the French regulation changes, I can't see much legal use of an EIR for flights to France...
I don't know whether the new European Rules of the Air will waive the French requirement that IFR flying must be over 3000 AMSL or not.