Pablo Hidalgo has been working with Lucasfilm for years. He's a huge EU geek just as Leland Chee is.

I really believe they felt they had to destroy the EU to save it. This new trilogy(The Children) would be impossible to retcon into the existing EU canon. Now that they've been handed the keys to the kingdom their plan is to build from the ashes the official continuity that they don't have to worry about being trampled on by the likes of Lucas as they now approve all content going forward.

Give it a couple years and I'm betting you'll see a majority of the important EU elements labeled canon.