Bearfoil,
you are talking about two different things here.
One, and I completely agree here, is to make raw (and processed) data available to the public. I'm all for it (as long as there are no national security, trade secrets or other plausible reasons for non-disclosure involved) - it's good policy, it can be easily done in the internet age and it may help to shut up some of the constant harping about "bias", "pressure" etc.
Two, independently of the point above, BEA is still the authority with the sole mandate of investigating the accident and determining the causes. Not Airbus, Air France, the leaker or Le Figaro. That's the point they were making with the press release (along that causes have not been determined so far), and I think it may have been necessary (alas, probably unsuccessful) to stem the tide of daily leaks.