Apple: At the core of the matter
The decision taken this week is not to ascertain whether state aid rules were broken, but simply a decision to investigate, writes Brian Keegan.
Any country which is a member state of the EU has signed up to what have become known as the state aid rules. The basic idea is simple – no EU country can offer a benefit to some which others can never avail of. Grants and subsidies can distort the market, and tax breaks also qualify as a benefit for these purposes.
The EU is rigorous about chasing state aid irregularities. While there ...
