Dave.
You wont believe the trouble we have with Eurocontrol. I have a friend who works there and even he says things are getting worse!!! It might seem to be one organisation from the outside but inside there are at 27 different views.
As regards BA alpha numerics, this is the bugbear of my life, because in the past BA were the first to be asked to change the callsign if there was a conflict and we would accordingly oblige to help out, but now we are seen as the easy option and always asked first.