No, this ruling is in line with how the US does it. Before, it was unclear whether the EU would charge sales tax (VAT) when you buy bitcoins on an exchange. Now it's clear that they won't. The US has never charged sales tax on bitcoin exchanges.

Tax-free is an exaggeration, as bitcoin is still subject to capital gains tax, and of course you'll have to pay sales tax/VAT if you use bitcoin to buy things, just as if you bought the same things with euros or dollars.