Hey Jeff,
No, not all BMW 3.0d engine are the same...
The early models of the engine (known as the M57D30) is bit different from yours and mine, which is the "technical update" version - known as the M57D30TÜ.
See this for more detail: -
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_M57
As far as the EGR is concerned, you don't likely have the water-cooled version, so you can simply replace the EGR pipe with a blanking plate (on the exhaust manifold) and an inlet pipe connection. You'll also need to plug the vacuum line that went to the EGR.
The inlet pipe connection is the part you need to get right - early models use a hose clamp (simple) attachment but our TÜ engines use a locking coupler: -
Having said all that, it's rare for an EGR to fail completely but they can become clogged. A simple clean should restore normal operation but an EGR delete is a popular option.
Note that an EGR delete will not cause any issues but it WILL store a fault code in the DDE and will cause the Check Engine lamp to light. You may fail safety checks on the basics of this light being on.