Taking a competency based IR course will lead to a full IR valid in Europe, giving the holder departure, approach and en route privileges? and up to 15 hours of IMC/IR(R) and EIR training can be counted towards the IR qualification obtained by taking the CB-IR course?
It's not limited to 15 hours. If it took you 30 hours to get your IR(R) (!) then it would all count.
It's unlikely that many people would use the EIR as a stepping stone in this process though.
Also can anyone shed any light on the theory requirements? Just one written test? Is it at a similar level to ATPL theory?
There are new exams that have a lot of the irrelevant stuff stripped out. It is theoretically possible to do all the new exams in one day now... although that is actually currently -impossible- because you can't actually book them on the same day!
The seven exams have the same titles as before - Air Law, Instruments, Met, Flight Planning, Human Performance, Radio Nav and IFR Comms.
Have a look
here as one example. You can download free samples of each book.
You should consider contacting
Rate One Aviation - Jim Thorpe was instrumental in bringing the CB IR to fruition.