New maps... Are these compatible with the Nuvi 1200?

The quickest answer is that your nuvi will receive the latest updates made for your unit by using WebUpdater for firmware and other non-map updates, and that Map Updates will offer you the files and updates that your nuvi can use.

The nuvi 1200 came out in early 2009, and that's what Garmin may consider an "ancient" device meaning that many features are not available for it:

https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=164&pID=30986

Your online owners manual:

http://static.garmincdn.com/pumac/nuvi_1100_1200_1300_1400_O...

Regarding your file questions, I think the following may be mostly correct:

-an ASR file may be used for nuvis that offer Voice Recognition (Voice Activation), not offered for the 1200;

-a JCV file is a file offering Junction Views and therefore is only offered and only useful to folks whose nuvis offer Junction View, and not offered for the 1200--in fact, the 1200 does not even offer Lane Assist;

-Traffic Trends features came on fairly recent nuvis, and the 1200 isn't one of them;

-Time zone files are, if I'm guessing correctly, only installed and used by nuvis that offer Automatic Time Zone corrections and I doubt that the 1200 is one of the nuvis offering this.

I see that the 1200 doesn't even offer speed limits. All in all, the 1200 is a model that's just new enough to have lost the ability to play mp3 audio, while also missing many to most of the features offered on the newer models.

But as long as the 1200 meets your needs (in Spain!), there's no need to worry. On the other hand, if the European maps offer Speed Limits, Lane Assist, Junction View, etc., you may want to consider purchase of a newer nuvi model. I was amazed at how much more useful my 2460 is than my 855--and the 2460 is already an "old" nuvi model.