On December 21, 2011, in a clinic in Nice, plastic surgeon Denis Boucq (left) took out a defective silicone breast implant made by French Poly Implant Prothese (PIP) from a patient. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard

Paris, May 20 (Reuters)-The Paris court ruled that the German company TUV Rheinland was negligent in issuing a safety certificate to a French company that manufactures defective breast implants. The decision advocacy group stated that this is a global figure. Thousands of women seeking compensation paved the way.

More than 300,000 women received implants made by PIP (Poly Implant Prothese) in the 10 years before 2010 and filled with cheap industrial-grade silicone that was not approved for human use.

"This is a relief," a victim who claimed to be Christine said at a press conference. "The legal process ended today, but for my health, it did not end there. I still have silicone in my body."

The case was brought by women who said they suffered long-term health problems after receiving PIP implants. The court ruled that hundreds of people should be compensated, but rejected hundreds of people’s claims for compensation.

TUV Rheinland stated that it challenged the court's decision to require the company to assume part of the responsibility. It stated that the court rejected the claims of women implanted before 2006.

The company said in a statement: “The evidence in this case clearly shows that TUV Rheinland has acted diligently and complied with acceptable regulations. It is not its duty to pursue fraud under the regulations.”

The advocacy organization PIP Implants World Victims Association (PIPA) stated that the ruling will affect tens of thousands of women who receive PIP implants from dozens of countries around the world.

PIPA is seeking compensation for approximately 20,000 victims in several different cases in France. It said that due to Thursday's ruling, more women from Britain to Colombia may have come forward.

Olivier Aumaitre, a lawyer representing PIPA and some women, said: “We are pleased with this result, which finally puts an end to doubts about TUV’s liability.”

After the scandal broke out in 2010, PIP went bankrupt. Its founder, Jean-Claude Mas, was sentenced to four years in jail in 2013 and fined 75,000 euros (82,500 US dollars).

Mas told the police that during the investigation, his employees would remove evidence of industrial silicone before TUV Rheinland conducts an annual inspection.

According to the British National Health Service, implants fraudulently manufactured by PIP are 6 times more likely to rupture than other implants.

It was also found that silicone had penetrated into women whose implants were intact.

PIPA stated that the victims suffer from autoimmune diseases, cancer panic, and long-term anxiety, while the incidence of autism in children breastfed by mothers with PIP implants is much higher than normal.

PIPA stated that it is seeking compensation of between 20,000 and 70,000 euros for each victim. It is expected that the first ruling on compensation will be made in September.

Aumaitre stated that the court’s ruling meant that TUV’s negligence made it solely responsible for the payment of damages.

"After 10 years of waiting and fierce fighting, the German certification agency will have to compensate the victims in full," Aumaitre said.

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