Just what IS a 'framework-friendly' course?

Nowadays, many courses claim (either directly or indirectly) to be compatible with the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). I'd always thought that there must be more to this than simply using the CEFR levels to situate a course. This interesting article below, written by Brian North (co-author of the CEFR, developer of the CEFR descriptors and co-author of the prototype European Language Portfolio), and which appeared on www.babylonia.ch, sheds some light on the matter.